Kingdom Hearts: 3582 Days
by Red Paine
Summary: I reccomend this story for people who have played every Kingdom Hearts up to and beyond 358/2 days. Certain aspcts like characters, settings, and events arenn't explained and would only be known to the reader if they played the right game. Basically, this book is about what would have happened if Xion wasn't killed. This is my first Fan-fiction and I hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

Roxas sat on the edge of the Twilight Town clock tower, curled up in a ball with his head on his knees. He stared out at the disappearing sun, feeling like a fool. He let out a sad laugh, "Where did I think I could go? What a joke…" Where could he go? Roxas had no other friends, no family outside of the Organization. There's no place to go. There's nothing for him outside of The World That Never Was.

Out of the corner of his eye, a girl in a black cloak much like his sat down next to him. Her black hair blew in the slight breeze while his blonde spikes only twitched in the wind. He noticed her and exclaimed, "Xion!" and his legs flew out. Roxas, unknowing in his surprise, began to slip. The girl made no move to catch him as he slipped and fell hundreds of yards to the transit station below them. He screamed the whole way down, piercing her ears and making her chest ache. When Roxas hit the ground, he cried out in agony. She could hear the sickening crack of the arm he landed on. It hurt her to do this, but she knew that it had to be done. Xion had to die, for the good of everyone. It could have been done any other way, inhumane or not, but she chose this way. She wanted to die in the arms of someone she knew. With her new dark power, she floated down to the ground and landed some distance before Roxas, enough so that he could still hear her but she wouldn't have to see the pain in his eyes.

"Draw your weapon, Roxas," her voice cracked.

He managed to bring his eyes to hers, propping his torso up with one arm, "X-Xion…"

"Draw your weapon." She repeated.

"N-No…" he tried to push himself up, but failed and slumped against the red bricks, "I won't… I won't… hurt you…"

Xion saw that he wouldn't, not without some help. She walked over to him, grabbing his unimpaired arm—a small mercy—and making him stand up. He cried out when it forced him to move his damaged arm. Roxas looked at her, silently pleading for an answer. She gave him none, turning her back and returning to her original position. Instantly a bright light shined in her hand, and then she had her Keyblade at the ready.

"I didn't want to hurt you, Roxas," she said, "But you leave me with no other choice."

The shocked look on his face was almost enough to stop her, but her resolve was strong. She drew back her weapon and went to strike him. Before she could, he summoned his own Keyblade and blocked it. It went on like that, her attempting to get him to hit back, but he never did. Roxas stood there, clutching his right arm closely to his side as it bled through his coat sleeve, taking her attacks. Xion shouted her rage, taking his Keyblade away and slicing through him with both. His cry jarred her. Watching him being tossed away, smacking the ground with an audible thud, was almost enough to put her into tears. Blood pooled out around him.

"X-Xion… Why… Why are you doing this…?" Roxas whimpered.

She could have told him. In fact, that might have made things easier. But she didn't think Roxas would understand the magnitude of the situation. All he would see is that she had to die, and would try to save her. That would only get them both killed in the end.

Xion sheathed the Keyblades in a cover of light, and then knelt beside him. She was silent for a minute, but eventually spoke, leaving Roxas at her feet to listen, "Roxas… I need you to do me a favor…"

He didn't respond, though she knew he was listening.

"I need you to kill me, Roxas… Can you do that?"

"N-No!" he grunted, using all of his strength to push himself onto his knees, "I won't! I'd never… ever hurt you!"

They locked eyes. Xion was sad to see that he was being serious. She'd kill him before he'd raise a hand on her. Tears welled in her eyes. Roxas flinched when she leaned forward and rested her head on his chest. Her shoulders shook as she cried. It only made her cry harder when he brought up his good arm and wrapped it around her. He held her tight. Suddenly, something tugged her away. Roxas looked up to see a young man at least five years older than them with red spiky hair in a matching coat throwing her away by her hair, readying a pair of spiked red wheels.

"Axel! WH-what are you doing?!" he shouted, forcing himself to his feet.

Axel didn't say a word, rather got into a defensive stance in front of Roxas. His chakrams couldn't match the blaze of fury in his radiant green eyes.

Xion quickly regained her posture and summoned her Keyblade. She saw her chance. Rushing toward him, she slashed at Axel's body, feeling the resistance on the handle when she landed a hit. Axel didn't hold back, retaliating with his own weapons, signing her coat with their fire. Blood dripped from cuts on her shoulder, but Xion was otherwise unharmed. It only fed Axel's rage to see that she wasn't getting the message. She hurt someone precious to him, and she was going to pay hard.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Axel shouted at her, his muscles tense, "He doesn't even know what's going on! How could you do this to him?! Did you actually think he'd kill you?!"

Xion retorted defiantly, "As if you've been so upfront with him!"

"Axel… what is she talking about…?" Roxas's voice was barely a whisper, "You'd never… lie to me… right? Don't we tell each other everything…?"

Xion's face grew sad.

Axel let out a roar and surged forward. Xion lay down her weapon, baring her neck for an open attack. The attack never came. Axel stopped halfway, and lowered his own weapons. Behind him Roxas gasped. Xion looked in the direction they were, and she saw a girl standing there, watching them. Her white sun dress and pale blonde hair made her stand out from the three, but in reality she was just like them. She was never supposed to exist either.

"Naminé!" Xion cried, "Leave us! I'm doing what you wanted me to do—Axel will do it for me. Soon I'll be gone, and Sora can have his memories back!"

Naminé ignored her and looked at Roxas. Her deep blue eyes mirrored his and Xion's, and they bore into his with immense emotions. Roxas watched her with curiosity, despite the circumstances.

"I'm sorry, Xion, but I have to take you away," she said with relative melancholy, "You're taking too long. Sora is becoming unstable."

"No!" Roxas limped over to Xion, shielding her with his broken body, "I won't let you—"

"Roxas, stop—!" Xion started.

The two were interrupted as Axel shot forward and pressed his chakrams to their throats. His eyes glowered menacingly at Naminé, "Find another way. Find another way, or I kill them both."

Naminé remained where she was, "Would you, Axel? Would you kill them both? You can't. That would ruin everything. If Roxas and Xion were to die, there would be no way to wake Sora."

"I don't care about Sora!" he yelled, his voice breaking, "I don't care about him! I don't care—I can save the worlds! Even if I couldn't, Roxas could!" his voice began to tremble, "Please, don't take him away… He makes me feel… like I have a heart…"

"And what about Xion? Is she important to you?"

He lowered his eyes to the ground, "Any friend of Roxas is a friend of mine."

Naminé went on, "Sora is the chosen one. He is the Keyblade Master—"

"Roxas IS Sora!" Axel's anger renewed, "It doesn't matter! It doesn't…"

Naminé was silent. She looked from Roxas, to Xion, and back to Axel, "You would do anything for them, wouldn't you?"

All he could do was nod.

"… Come with me."

She walked away, expecting them to follow. Xion turned and traced her steps, matching her gait as they came from the same person. Axel stopped to grab Roxas and support his side, and then resumed to trail them.

The trio followed the "witch" through Twilight Town. They passed the Sandlot where Struggle Battles were held every summer. They passed the Ice Cream Shoppe, from which the three had always bought Sea Salt Ice Cream, and then went to the clock tower to eat it as the sun went down. Roxas sighed on the inside, happy from the great memories they shared here, yet sad that those memories were most likely over.

Naminé led them through the plaza to the back wall, where a giant crack opened into woods. Her sandals crunched in the leaves while their black boots were silent against the foliage. The mansion came into view. Roxas stared in awe at the giant structure—on all the missions he'd gone on for the Organization here, he'd never been past the gates. Axel grunted as he pulled Roxas closer to get him through the doors. It was strange, Xion noticed, that no Heartless or Nobodies appeared as they made their way upstairs into the library. Naminé paused to draw on a table with a yellow crayon. She made an intricate design that somehow unlocked a floor beneath the library. The wooden floorboards turned into a field of light, then faded away to reveal blue stairs that gave way to walls with electrical circuits embedded into them. Dots of light traveled along the veins in the walls, all leading to a door that automatically slid open when they walked near.

Inside the door was a room full of computers hanging on the walls all connected to a master computer station, all of them showing the stats of the same boy. In the corner was a beam that crackled with blue volts. Naminé checked the monitors. She didn't look too happy with what she saw, but it seemed like the boy was doing fine to Roxas. All the bars were high, and there were no alerts or anything alarming.

The group ventured into an adjoining room. Even Xion had never seen this room: a hallway with pods lined up on the side. They were all on a track on the floor that went into the wall. Axel didn't know what they were either, regarding them with suspicious glances. Naminé didn't acknowledge them, continuing on her path to the farthest room.

In the last room stood a pod in the center, five times larger than the others. Before it was a desk with a chair that blended into the completely white atmosphere. Naminé sat in the desk and began drawing in a pink notepad. The world ceased to exist for her as she drew a new future. Axel scoffed at her, setting down Roxas and proceeding to heal his arm. He drew out the only Hi-potion that he bought and poured it onto the wound. Instantly the bone set and the cuts closed. Roxas bent his arm only to discover it still hurt to move. He nodded to Axel, who helped him up anyway.

"Sora…"

Roxas looked up to see Xion standing by the pod, her hand on the white surface. He felt guilty, but at the same time sad for Xion, for reasons unknown, though at the same time confused. Who is Sora, and why is he so important?

He left Axel to his thoughts. He approached Naminé and politely waited for her to finish the drawing. What he saw of the picture was him and Xion in pods, and the beginnings of Naminé in another. Beside them stood a man in their same Organization attire, in a black coat. He had long silver hair. At first Roxas thought he to be Xemnas, but the leader of Organization XIII would never wear a black ribbon over his eyes. It didn't make any sense to him. Why would this stranger be here with them? Did they really have to get into one of those strange pods? The idea scared him.

"Roxas," Naminé asked, still scribbling, "Do you know why Xion attacked you?"

"No… No one tells me anything…"

She smiled apologetically, "Xion has to die, Roxas. For the sake of everyone, in all the worlds, Xion has to go. She holds a part of Sora in her, a part that he needs to wake up."

The horror on his face didn't stun her, though it made her feel bad that these innocent "people" had to die for this.

"Xion can't die!" his voice lowered to a whisper, "She can't… she's my best friend and I won't let any harm come to her! But wait…" he looked at her directly for the first time, "If I have a part of him, then do I have to die too?"

She nodded slowly.

Axel came up from behind, "Not if I can help it."

Roxas looked at him with a silent "thank you" but he looked uncertain. Axel looked at Naminé, "You have another idea, right?"

She held up her drawing to him. He took it from her, not unkindly, and looked at the drawing.

"What, you're going to put them into those creepy-ass pod things?"

She nodded, "I have to."

"What are you going to do?"

"… I'm going to transfer Sora's memories from Xion into myself, then I'm going to take Sora's embodiment from Roxas into me."

"Won't that hurt?"

"Maybe… but that's not my real concern…"

Axel's hackles rose, "What should we be concerned about?"

She went on sadly without shyness, "Taking away Sora's memories from Xion will take away her appearance, her personality, everything. She'll become the silent puppet that Vexen created in his lab. And with Roxas…"

Axel leaned forward, "What about with Roxas?"

Her face fell as she looked right into Axel's demanding glare, "Sora's part is what makes Roxas Roxas. If we were to take that away, he could become a Dusk, or even vanish completely."

His eyes widened. He quickly looked at Roxas. He had frozen in place, staring at nothing.

"A… Dusk?" Roxas could barely be heard.

Another slow nod.

Xion spoke up, "No, Roxas, you don't have to do this. Let me go. I'll stabilize Sora—"

"Oh yeah, then what?" Axel said, "What, so he can die later? No, Xion. Just like I'm always doing, I'm saving both your sorry butts."

"Did Saïx tell you to do this?" Xion snapped, "I know that's what he would want. With both me and Roxas back in the Organization, they'd be able to use our Keyblades to collect hearts again."

Axel looked at her coldly, "Screw the Organization. I'm doing this because I'm your friend."

Xion was surprised for a moment, though all the same smiled at his unusually kind words.

"Well then, let's get this done." Naminé got up and looked to Roxas for confirmation.

He nodded, "Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

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The group followed Naminé to the previous hallway. She pressed a green button on the wall that triggered all the pods to open, save for two. Axel saw some sort of dog-man in one and a short duck-man in the other, "Who are they" he asked, out of general curiosity.

Naminé giggled, "They do look strange, don't they? Those are Sora's traveling companions," she gestured toward the dog, "Meet Goofy, Captain of King Mickey's Royal Guard," she then pointed to the duck, "and Donald, the King's Court Wizard."

"Weirdos," Axel grunted, giving no other comment. Xion couldn't help but smirk.

"Naminé."

Roxas turned around to see the stranger from the drawing approach them from the computer room. Now that he could see him in person, Roxas instantly recognized him as the Organization's imposter—it was his and Xion's job at some point to eliminate the guy who wore their trademark black coat. Normally he would have attacked the blindfolded boy, but for what purpose? The Organization meant nothing to Roxas now; he almost saw this new (possibly a) Nobody as a friend. Xion certainly saw him as a friend. She gave him a slight smile, one that irked Roxas somehow. It only made it worse that the boy smiled back. The friend-status began to disappear.

"Riku," Naminé greeted him, "I'm extracting Sora from them. I will most likely become unstable—it's a miracle that Xion by herself is still alive. With both inside me I may need Soul Eater at the ready."

Riku started, "Naminé, I don't think—"

"Please, Riku."

"But… it would kill you…"

Roxas's ears perked up.

"Naminé, please reconsider."

"No," Naminé said gently, "I am going to use the last of my power to save what I can of Roxas and Xion. I will die anyway."

Xion interrupted, "Naminé?"

She smiled at her other self, "Even after Sora is gone, you'll still have memories of Organization XIII, Roxas and Axel, right? Sora isn't everything Xion. You're you, and I intend to keep it that way. It's the same way with Roxas."

"Then what was that crap earlier about Roxas turning into a Dusk?" Axel growled.

"That's only if it doesn't work. Roxas could still turn into a Dusk if I'm not careful. Either of them could fade away, though, like all Nobodies do sooner or later."

Axel scoffed, "You better be careful."

"I will."

Riku had been staring at Roxas. Or, it would be staring, if he wasn't wearing that ribbon over his eyes. Roxas finally noticed and looked back. He didn't challenge Riku, as Roxas could tell just by looking at him that Riku was much stronger than him. Instead, he tried a small smile. Why not make friends? Riku let out a short, soft laugh, as if he was remembering something or someone that Roxas reminded him of.

"Xion, Roxas," Naminé said with a deciding tone, "It's time."

Naminé was the first to climb into one of the pods, with a boost from Riku. She seemed to naturally float inside of it, like a beautiful white ghost. Next was Xion. Roxas watched her take Riku's hand that helped her up into the neighboring pod. Roxas felt a twinge of jealousy. He expressed how much better he was than Riku by refusing his help and jumping into the vessel all by himself. Whether Riku didn't notice or didn't care, Roxas couldn't really tell. Axel rolled his eyes at the whole scene.

"Ready?" Naminé asked as the other two were lifted by an unseen force to levitate in the center of their pods.

Xion instantly nodded, as she was prepared to die only an hour ago. Roxas was hesitant, but eventually dipped his head in agreement.

She looked down at Riku, "Do it."

Riku walked over to the wall and pressed the same button. All the pods closed precisely at the same time. From the hazy covering Axel could see Naminé mouth out to the others, 'Close your eyes'. Xion obeyed, followed by Roxas soon after. Everything was completely still for a moment, when suddenly Roxas twitched. Axel jumped at the movement. Muffled screaming erupted from Roxas's pod as the boy struggled to escape from chains that weren't there. Axel's voice seemed to echo through the halls as he cried to Riku, "Turn it off! Turn it off, now!"

Riku looked at him with a blank face, answering with a blank tone, "You can't."

The alarm in Axel's eyes was overwhelming, stunning Riku that such real emotions could appear on a Nobody's face. Axel pushed past him to reach for the button on the wall. He was thrown back by a Keyblade black as night and decorated with chains. The Key's tip, angled at his throat, kept Axel on the floor while Riku stood over him.

"I know what it's like." Riku said in an almost soothing manner. In the back of his head he was practically laughing at the idea that he had to calm a beast that wasn't even supposed to feel rage.

"No you don't! How could you possibly understand—?"

Riku swiped him across the face, making tiny drops of blood seep out from the thin crack on Axel's now pale face.

"Sora is my best friend," Riku went on calmly, "Do you think it's easy for me to watch him sleep for years, having his memories being put back together, never knowing when or if he'll ever wake up?"

Axel was silenced by this sudden confession.

"So yes, I know exactly how you feel… if you really do feel…"

Riku gazed at nothing for a second, and then removed Oblivion from Axel's throat. He backed away and watched the young (yet older than him) man get to his feet. Axel leaned against the opposite wall, all the while watching Roxas and wincing whenever his shouts grew louder. The pain in his eyes really made Riku question whether or not Nobodies had hearts.

Without warning the three significant pods burst open. Naminé fell out of hers onto the floor, as did Roxas next to her, but Xion remained where she was, asleep and hovering inside her now open pod. Axel tugged Roxas to his feet, keeping him there since Roxas was still woozy. He placed his friend against the wall for support, and faced Riku to see him lift Naminé. A cold sweat had broken out on her forehead and she was writhing in the agony of having three persons inside her at once. She looked to Riku, "Q-Quick, give me Soul Eater."

Riku hastily summoned a different Keyblade, one that ended in a point. It was the same one that released Kairi's heart from Sora's when the fool decided she was more important than anything else. How could he ever know that he'd become a Heartless? It's the primary reason Roxas was even created.

He handed the dreaded weapon to Naminé, who took the Key with trembling hands. Naminé let a few tears drop from her cheeks. After all, for whatever reason, one would be sad about dying. She grabbed the neck of the Key, and, point first, shoved it into her chest. Blood burst out from her breast, shooting out and covering the front of her dress. It dripped down her legs, trickling in between her toes, to end up in a puddle on the floor. Naminé screamed, though not in pain, but rather with relief. Her body, no longer able to support itself, leaned back and started to fall. Riku dashed toward her and caught her in his arms. He kneeled on the floor, blood staining his black paints beneath his coat, with Naminé in his lap. Riku, knowing this poor girl deserved to die with pride, removed Soul Eater from her chest and tossed it away. As it vanished into a cloud of shadows, Naminé coughed up more blood, it trailing down the corners of her lips like mini rivers.

"Naminé…" Riku's voice trailed off

She stuttered, smiling weakly, her voice barely a whisper, "Riku… you have been… a great friend to me… Sora… is lucky… that he has you…"

He smiled, "… Naminé?"

"Yes…?"

"Thank you… for everything."

Her smile grew wider. Riku watched her close her eyes for the last time. Just before she began to disappear, he brushed aside her bangs and kissed her on her forehead, whispering, "Farwell", and then she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, what happens now?" Axel asked Riku as he got to his feet.

Riku took some time to answer. He didn't really know what to do from here. The main thought process was "what would Naminé do? What would she try to get done?" There was no one else that would help them. Sure, there were others in on the entire project. This mysterious man that had helped Riku out of his darkness, DiZ, knew all about their operations and of Sora's conditions. Although kind to Riku, DiZ didn't have a place in his cold heart for Nobodies. Riku didn't know why, but DiZ would definitely do the opposite of help them.

He looked to Xion, noticing she was still in her pod, "We should get her down."

Axel refused to let this weird-ass kid touch his friend unconscious. He stepped on to the platform that extended from the pod, reaching out and taking her in his arms. It was not that long ago when Axel had done this before, only last time it was by force and he'd thrown he rover his shoulder like a bindle. Now Axel handled her with care, cradling her head against his chest as he returned to his original spot by Roxas. Xion's hair, he noticed, had miraculously gotten longer, just brushing her shoulders.

"Alright, obviously nothing's gonna happen for a while," Axel had sharpness to his tongue—he didn't like Riku that much. Someone that much younger than him shouldn't be able to overpower him. Though, for the good of his friends, he cooperated with the bastard, "How about I just let them sleep somewhere, and just wait 'til they wake up?"

Riku wanted to say no, though he could see no flaw with that plan. With Naminé no longer here, the Mansion had lost its power. The computers showed nothing but status and did no function whatsoever to keep the pods working; it was all Naminé's doing. That's when it struck Riku that with Naminé gone, who would take care of Sora? Or was he awake now, now that Naminé had died with his half inside her? Was she in him now? Riku looked to Axel, "Yeah. Take them to Destiny Islands. There's a tree house there where they can rest without being disturbed…"

"And what about you?" he asked, not really to be polite but to see if he could turn his back on him.

"… I'll go check on Sora."

Axel's gaze softened a little, though all the same he transferred Xion to one arm, picking up Roxas with the other. He opened a Corridor of Darkness, walked through, and disappeared with the dark wisp of smoke. Riku barely noticed as he walked through the door to Sora's pod.

He froze in his tracks. There, before him, was Sora, laughing in a circle with Donald and Goofy. Riku hadn't even seen their empty pods on his way. They all laughed, Goofy clutching his belly, Donald with his hands on his hips, and Sora, that funny little kid with his hands behind his head and that big stupid grin on his face. Riku would have laughed too if he wasn't so stunned. To see Sora anywhere else but asleep in his pod was odd enough. But to see him like this, happy, gleeful, just… ALIVE… made Riku's heart skip beats. He stood there a while, before Donald turned his head and quacked "wak?" to announce his arrival.

The threesome all turned to look at Riku—the only one Riku saw was Sora. He knew that he must have looked like a complete stranger to them. Since Naminé replaced their memories of Castle Oblivion and all their encounters with Organization members, this black coat was nothing but a mere fashion choice. And with the longer hair, the blindfold over his eyes, how could Sora ever recognize him? Riku wished to the point where his heart ached that he could take off the blindfold without turning into the monster that had tried to destroy his home.

Jiminy Cricket, the King's advisor, popped out of Sora's hood and regarded Riku with speculative eyes, "And who are you, young man?"

He couldn't answer; he was still watching Sora watch him.

"Maybe, sir, you could help us with this message in my journal?" he pulled a tiny violet velvet book from his waistcoat, "It's completely blank, save for these two words at the end. They say 'Thank Naminé'. Do you know this 'Naminé' person?"

Riku finally found his tongue, "Yeah, I knew her. I already thanked her for you."

"Do you know where she is now?"

"She's dead."

That quieted the usually rambunctious trio. Donald sadly looked at his orange webbed feet, "I wish she was still here, so we could thank her in person…"

"Gwarsh, me too…" Goofy agreed solemnly.

Sora's eyes were sad, though they were still on Riku. The boy decided he wanted to voice his thoughts, "Hey, have we met before? I feel like I know you."

Riku almost jumped. After all these years of sleeping, Sora's voice had gotten deeper. He wasn't that much of a kid anymore—or at least he didn't sound like it. Riku didn't know what to say. Is it better that he doesn't know who he is? There might have been an advantage to remaining anonymous.

Sora cocked his head to the side like a puppy, "Hello?"

Goofy laughed, "A-hyuk, he don't talk much, do he?"

Riku smiled at that. This only made Sora smile's greater. It'd be hard, but Riku wouldn't give his name. He'd have to keep Sora in the dark, as he always did. Even though Axel wasn't related to Riku in any way, Riku was just like him—keeping secrets to protect his friends.

"Come with me." Riku nodded to them, "I'm a friend."

He made a Dark Corridor, and walked through. Riku reappeared in Yen Sid's tower, just outside the doors. Behind him the other three came, and then the Corridor vanished. Sora, ever the curious one, piped up, "What is this place?"

Riku looked over his shoulder at Sora, "Yen Sid lives here. He was the King's teacher, Sora. He'll teach you everything you need to know. And he'll probably give you new clothes too; yours look a little small on you…"

It was true. The outfit Sora went to sleep in was put on years ago. His red pants squeezed his legs, showing more than intended, and his top was practically a sports bra it hugged him to tight. Sora laughed, scratching the back of his spiky brown hair in embarrassment.

The black-cloaked boy walked with them up the mythically floating stairwells, up into Yen Sid's room. Inside they found a desk with a large arm chair behind it. Books crammed onto shelves lined the walls, papers haphazardly protruding from in between pages. There was a small table against the wall. Sora walked up to the desk and looked at the map that was spread out before him. It was a very complicated map to read, especially since there weren't any roads or regions to decipher. To Sora, it looked like a bunch of lines and scratches, too much for him to read. He gave up and looked out the window. Outside was a beautiful cosmos, covered with stars. A golden train-track ran over a sea of gold, leading to this tower.

"Enjoying the view?" a deep, old voice boomed over Sora's shoulder. Sora jumped to see an old man with a dark grey beard in blue wizard's robes (and a matching wizard hat) approach him. He chuckled, and then took a seat in the arm chair. The foolhardy boy joined his traveling companions before the desk.

"Will you be joining us, Riku?" the man inquired.

"No, Yen Sid, I have to be elsewhere."

"Oh, alright then."

Just as Yen Sid launched into a lecture about Heartless, Riku created another Corridor to escape. He didn't care for lectures all that much and didn't really have something he needed to do. Riku did notice, though, that Sora was watching him and almost looked sad right before he left.


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile, Axel had arrived at Destiny Islands. He managed to locate the tree house on the beach, and had laid Xion and Roxas inside while he stood guard, leaning against the doorway as he waited for enemies that wouldn't come. Axel had only come here once, so he didn't know how peaceful this world was. That was when he still considered himself a member of Organization XIII. It was back when everything was okay, when there was no drama and everything was black and white. He, Roxas, and Xion had gotten a vacation and chose to spend it there, sitting on a slanted tree on an island watching a gorgeous sun being swallowed by the sea. That was a weird day for Axel. He remembered going to his room that night, staying up, wondering what that warm feeling in his chest was. Axel realized and had accepted a long time ago what he was—he, as well as the rest of the Organization members, was a Nobody, a creature without a heart or feelings. There was no way in any world that he could feel happy… And yet… Axel replayed that day over and over again in his mind, dreaming about it when he finally fell asleep. He wished he could have another vacation there, so he could feel this way again. Alas, he never got one. Right after that merry trip, problems began to emerge in Xion, and then all the drama started.

It was all so strange to Axel. He knew Roxas was Sora's Nobody, and Xion had come from both of them. Sora had such a strong heart, it was only natural that Roxas had one too as well as Xion—they could have feelings. Axel's original person, Lea, was dead, and he was no one special, not even a Keyblade Master. He was just a boy that played with his friend Isa in his home town. There was no way Axel could even relatively feel compassion or feel sorry for anyone, yet he felt sorry for Roxas and Xion. Maybe they were just rubbing off on him, and he only felt things as a reaction of what they did? Axel shrugged to himself. How much did it matter, anyway? For all he knew, if this really was happening, it was a good thing. All Axel had ever dreamed of was having a heart and becoming a real person with emotions. But wait, wouldn't he need a heart to dream in the first place? Ah, so confusing!

"Axel…?"

Axel quickly looked up to see Roxas sitting up, rubbing his head. He let out a silent sigh of relief that he wasn't in any pain and seemed to be himself.

"Where are we, Axel?" Roxas yawned, "And where's Naminé?"

He slumped a little against the frame, "She's gone now, Roxas. It's over. You and Xion are cured of Sora. You're you now, nobody else."

"Cured…? I was cured of him…? It wasn't exactly a disease, Axel…."

He laughed softly, "Yeah, well, it was making me sick. You have a good sleep?"

"No… It hurt, Axel. It hurt so much. It felt like someone had gone into my heart and rearranged who I was."

"Uh, that's exactly what she did, dipshit. I'm asking what it felt like."

"… Imagine every bone in your body being broken, grinded into dust, and then burned until it made new bone in its place. That's what it felt like…" he clutched his head and brought it to his knees, "I hated it. I screamed at her to stop but she didn't…"

Axel wasn't sure what to say, so he said nothing. He simply watched Roxas rest his head on his legs, rocking ever so slightly. Next to him Xion hadn't even twitched. He looked at the unmoving body worriedly. Xion was never this still, not even when she slipped into that coma back in the day.

"Hey, Roxas…" Axel said in a sort of concerned but distracted tone, "Does Xion look a little different to you…?"

Roxas looked at Xion's body. As Sora's Nobody, he was just as dim as his original and saw nothing wrong with her. Wasn't she just taking a nap? After what she just went through, who wouldn't be exhausted in her place? He shook his head no, though smiled at Axel for worrying over his friend.

The young man got to his feet and kneeled beside Xion. He placed a hand on her breast.

"Axel!" Roxas's face grew hot, "What are you doing?!"

"Checking for a pulse, pervert."

"I'm n-not a pervert!"

"Uhuh…" Axel paid him no mind. At first he was flustered to receive nothing, but after a while, he felt the steady drum of her heart against his palm. Reassured, he removed his hand and sat with his back to the wall. Roxas looked at Xion for a while, getting an idea.

"Axel, would you mind if Xion rested in your lap?"

He cocked an eyebrow at Roxas, "Excuse me?"

"Just let her lay her head on your lap… I'm sure it'd be better than just lying on a cold hard floor…"

Axel's face only grew more questioning and disturbed.

"Please, Axel? She'd be more comfortable."

He went, "Um, okay…"

Axel remained where he was, letting Roxas pull Xion's head onto his lap. The second her hair brushed his belly, he went completely stiff. This was even weirder to Axel. The most he'd ever interacted with anyone was a hand to pull someone to their feet. He'd never let anyone touch him, let alone let anyone rest in his lap, down where no one ever touched. All he could do was stare at Xion.

Her closed eyes and tranquil demeanor was borderline pacifying to Axel. To see someone so at peace put him at peace. When Roxas began to lightly brush her hair with his hand, Axel noticed she leaned into his hand a little bit. A smile pulled at her lips as well as his.

"Heh, she's just like a kitty cat." Roxas smiled.

Axel chuckled, "Kinda."

They gazed on at her, nothing moving or changing. Roxas let out a sad sigh, still petting her head as if she was an actual cat. The silence was finally broken when Roxas started talking in an offbeat tone. It was more like he was talking to himself than Axel.

"She thinks she's so strong… that she can do anything on her own. I hate it… I hate how much she can't see, how much she won't let me help her, how much I can't protect her… Why not? Isn't that what friends are for, helping each other? I know deep down that I can't save her from this but the least she could do was tell me what's going on…"

He looked down at the floor, a sad aura emanating from him. Axel just watched him with sad eyes. This poor bastard, he thought, was only setting himself up to get hurt. Of course he can't save her.

No one can.


	5. Chapter 5

Riku appeared on the shore of Destiny Islands. As the Corridor closed behind him, he watched the calm sea before him. A white sandy beach, a breathtaking blue ocean, and two best friends—this was home to Riku. He'd been born in a town near the island along with Sora. When they got older, Kairi had moved to their town. She was adorable as a kid, Riku recalled. She wore her red hair short, and a cute little sundress with matching sandals covered her body. He and Sora fell for her at first sight. It'd always been a silent competition between them to win her heart. As they got older, Riku would tease Sora for it, offering him the destiny-binding star-shaped Paupu fruit to share with Kairi. But in the end, Riku saw that as much as Kairi loved Riku, she would always love Sora more. He was special, even more so to her. So he let go, though he would still put his life on the line to save her.

Kairi… he knew she was still there, in that town. It was where the two boys had left her to save the worlds. Maybe he should go see her! But… how could he? How could Riku face her like this, a monster behind a mask? His darkness constantly threatened to break free from his heart; that blindfold was the only thing keeping it at bay. Riku didn't want to disappoint Kairi, much less scare her. Besides, the second she sees him, she'll ask where Sora is. What could he possibly tell her? That he was in even more danger? She'd want to come along and help. She'd convince him to let her go, and then she'd get hurt because he couldn't protect her. No. If anything, he'd avoid Kairi.

"Hey, brudda!"

Riku turned to see his old friend, Wakka, approach him. He'd play with him and Sora, including another boy Sora's age named Tidus. Kairi would hang with Selphie, another girl on the island, while the boys sparred and played Blitz Ball. All the same, the five were great friends and were family that grew up on Destiny Islands together.

"Hey," Wakka smiled cheerfully, "Brudda, you see my ball?"

Riku smiled at fond memories. He's done this before with Wakka at least a thousand times. The goofball would always misplace his Blitz Ball. Though Riku never told, half the time it was Tidus playing a prank and hiding it somewhere.

"No, I can't say I have."

"Well, a' course you havn' seen it! How could ya wit that thing ova your eyes?" Wakka laughed at his own joke, as corny as it was. Riku liked Wakka—he was the only one that made corny okay.

"Hey, ya look familia'. Ya been here b'fore?"

He shook his head, "No, you must have me confused with someone else."

Wakka scratched his head, "Ya sure, man? I coulda swore I seen you b'fore."

"You haven't. If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." Riku pushed past him before he could recognize him or say anything else.

He walked along the beach to the old tree house. No one knew how it got there or what it was really supposed to be used for; it became a hang-out spot for the kids. As Riku climbed the old wooden ladder, he inhaled the old smells of rotten wood and coconuts. The scent of childhood.

Inside, Axel was leaning against the side wall with Xion in his lap. Both were asleep, Axel surprisingly quiet for such a loud character. His eyes were closed, and he breathed deeply, not moving or speaking a word. Where Riku expected the man to at least murmur in his slumber, he remained silent. Across from them was Roxas, sitting with his legs drawn up and his head on his knees. He stared morosely at nothing, probably trying to figure out this mess. Good luck, younger Riku would have said. The more mature Riku squatted next to Roxas and looked at him intently. He waited for him to talk.

It was actually quite some time before Roxas looked at him. His eyes were exhausted, defeated, sad, and wanting answers. Roxas thought Riku had all the answers, and was keeping them from him. The boy was tired of not knowing what was going on. Foolish, Riku thought, to think that he could handle the truth. He saw Roxas was forming a question. Riku was prepared with whatever lie he had planned ahead for Sora. That kid always had questions, even when the answer was obvious.

"… Can I ask you a question?" Roxas's whisper was deep.

"Sure." Here it goes.

"… What's a Nobody?"

He hadn't been expecting such a simple question.

"I know someone tried to explain it to me, but that was a long time ago and I don't think I've ever understood it… Can you please tell me? I don't know anything about myself."

How sad is it when you don't even know what you are? Riku saw no harm in telling him the truth with that one. After all, it was a fact, and almost everyone but his poor boy knew.

"A Nobody," Riku began, "Is the side-product of a Heartless. You know what a Heartless is, right? They had to have taught you something there."

"Yeah… I know what they are. People with strong hearts turn into Heartless, though I don't know why… Shouldn't a strong heart keep you alive?"

Well, by that logic, "Maybe… Anyway, when a Heartless is created, a Nobody is made too. They're nothing but empty vessels without hearts…" Riku just realized what he was telling this poor son of a bitch. Hearing this, he saw, must have been heard, but it was the truth and maybe it really was time he knew, "All kill to try and get a heart. They praise Kingdom Hearts in hopes of one day being blessed with a heart as well. Then they could be real people. They don't have feelings, but pretend to have them. Technically, Nobodies don't really exist—they are remnants of their original person before they turned into a Heartless. Usually whenever a Heartless is made, the original is killed, but in your case, it was Sora. Sora is… special. His heart was strong enough to withstand it and change back…"

He stopped. That was enough. Roxas was now looking at Axel with a somber gaze, "Then… I don't have a heart?"

"No, you do. You and Xion came from Sora—you're special Nobodies. You have hearts."

"… Does Axel?"

Riku felt it wasn't his responsibility or his place to tell him this, but he might as well, "No."

"He doesn't have a heart, feelings? Everything he's ever done, was that done out of love?"

A lance speared through Riku's heart. This must have been so hard for him…

Roxas drew his head into his lap, curling into a ball, "I know I have a heart now."

"And why is that?" It certainly wasn't because I just told you so.

"I feel betrayed."

Riku's heart dropped to his stomach. This was horrible. It was like if Sora found out that Riku didn't really care about him, that everything he'd done wasn't to save his friends but himself. It was never like that. Riku cared so much for Sora his heart ached when he had to hurt him to save him. Now Roxas thought Axel didn't care about him or Xion. Riku wanted to say no, no Axel does care about you, but how could he? It wouldn't make sense. All the facts pointed to Axel only striving to do anything to get a heart. Anything else would be wrong. Riku ran out of words and said nothing.

Roxas's eyes welled with tears. His whole past, or at least the one he could remember, was a big fat lie. Axel never cared about him. All he'd ever done was carrying out Saïx's orders. It was his duty to get closer to the Keyblade wielders. Those sunsets at the clock tower, those laughs at the castle, those adventures at other worlds, all of it meant nothing, nothing to Axel but part of the job. The tears spilled over as he cried without sound. How could he have been so stupid? Axel wasn't his best friend. He was a jerk that used him and Xion to get what he wanted. It explained why Axel could capture and return and most of all HURT Xion without feeling bad. He couldn't feel at all! Only Xion had ever been there for him.

Roxas could hear Axel waking up. He grunted, stretching like he always does when he wakes up. He looked over at Roxas and immediately felt something was wrong.

"Hey. Did I miss something while I was out?"

Riku didn't say anything, neither did Roxas. No one moved. Suddenly, almost making Riku jump, Roxas quickly stood and ran out of the tree house. He jumped to the sand below, and ran even further down the shore. Axel watched him go with worried curiosity. He then locked "eyes" with Riku. He glowered, looking like he wanted to kill him, "Okay what did you tell him?"

No answer. He just said, "Go after him." in a stone voice, taking Xion from him and laying her on the floor in front of him. Axel's brow creased, but he obeyed, exiting the tree house to go after his friend. He took one glance to make sure Xion was okay, and then leaped down to trace Roxas's steps.

"Good luck."


	6. Chapter 6

Axel was gaining on Roxas. He called his name, screaming at him to stop. The boy didn't listen and kept running, as if escaping Axel now would let him escape from the hurt of betrayal. Sand that was supposed to scrunch under Axel's boots made no sound as he ran faster. Roxas's feet were loud as they quickened their pace. Finally, Axel caught up and grabbed Roxas's arm.

Roxas swatted him away, "Don't touch me!" he yelled louder than he should have.

Axel's eyes widened with shock when he saw tears streaming down Roxas's cheeks. Why was he crying? Did he do something wrong…?

"Go away, Axel! Get away from me!"

"Roxas…" he closed his eyes, "What did he tell you?"

He sniffed, "He told me the truth."

"Which is?" There were many truths Roxas didn't know.

"That you're a heartless bastard. You don't have a heart—you can't feel anything! Everything we've been through… all that stuff… it didn't mean anything to you, did it?!"

Axel's radiant green eyes snapped open and locked on to Roxas's, "Roxas, that's not true."

"No, it is! Stop lying to me! I've had enough of your lies!"

"I am not lying!" Axel was shouting now too, stunning Roxas enough to make him listen, "No, I don't have a heart Roxas. I'm not like you—I'm not supposed to feel anything!" his hands clenched into fists, "But I do! I feel things when I'm around you! Remember when we came here on vacation?"

Roxas managed a small nod.

"That was the best day of my life! Of my entire pathetic existence, that was the one moment where I felt like I MEANT something! Now I'm going through all this bullshit, but not for Saïx. I'm done with him! I'm doing this for YOU, man! I'm doing this because I'm your friend!"

Roxas's eyes grew dark, "… You're not my friend. Xion is."

"Then what am I, Roxas?! Tell me! Tell me, so I have a clue of what I'm doing here!"

"… You're a traitor."

And just like that, Roxas had summoned his Keyblade and was lunging for Axel. Axel cried out surprise, bringing out his chakrams and striking back. He missed; Roxas had jumped over him and landed in the water. Roxas shouted, rushing to jab Axel in the ribs. The red-head punched aside the Key and kicked Roxas in the gut, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying far into the water. The water only barely touched Roxas's knees, but with him lying on his belly, he could easily drown. Axel walked over, putting away a chakram to grab Roxas's hood and yank him to his feet. Roxas instantly reacted by swinging his Keyblade to slice open Axel's side. He cried out, releasing the boy. Tons of blood began to dye the water around Axel's feet. Roxas took the advantage and slashed at his neck. Axel summoned his other chakram to block it. Water kicked up from their feet as they fought, nicking and defending from the other. The tip of Roxas's Key got caught in the spokes of Axel's weapon. He smirked, tossing away the Key with the spiked wheel and striking with the other. He left a huge cut stretching diagonally from Roxas's shoulder to his abdomen. Roxas looked down at the cut, utter shock replacing the rage in his eyes. His fingers came up to reach through the cut coat and to touch the blood dripping down his front. Axel seemed to wake up. He just realized what he'd done. His shock caused his tense hands to drop the chakrams into the water. They sizzled, then went out and disappeared altogether.

"Roxas… I—I didn't mean to—"

"Roxas! Axel!"

They both looked to the shore to see who'd called them. There, on the shore, they could make out a girl in a black cloak calling to them. She ran through the water to them, the water spraying up around her like tiny diamonds. The scene was mesmerizing to Roxas. For a moment he forgot where he was, but Axel swaying in his peripheral vision reminded him of the battle. Then Xion got closer. Roxas stared at her.

"Roxas, what are you doing?!" she saw the wound on his chest, "Oh my God are you okay?"

"X-Xion… Your eyes…"

"Roxas, can you hear me?" her voice was worried, though how could Roxas know? His hearing had gone out when Axel had struck him in the head while they were fighting.

"Xion… Help him…" Axel's eyes closed as he fell into the water, his blood surrounding him like a red aura among the blue sea. Xion ran over to him, trying to put his arm over her shoulders to carry him back to shore. Roxas made no move to help her. Let the asshole die for all he cared.

"Roxas, get over here!" Xion called to him. Roxas could see that she was yelling at him to do something, though he didn't know what. Riku appeared next to him and grabbed Axel by the arms while Xion got his legs. They carried him to shore, leaving Roxas to follow them. All four were on the shore now, Axel lying on his back unconscious while Xion tried to heal his side, Roxas sitting up with the top half of his coat off, and Riku standing, watching all this go down.

"Xion…" Roxas's senses were returning to him, "What happened to your eyes?"

"Quiet, Roxas."

He winced at the harshness of her tone, which only made him recoil at the pain in his chest.

Xion placed her hand on Axel's wound; he groaned in his sleep. She cast the spell Cura and the wound began to close. The skin sewed itself back together as the bleeding stopped. Darkness automatically pieced together Axel's coat. It did every time Axel got cut. Though for some reason, Roxas's cloak remained tattered and hanging from his frame. He cursed it as blood continued to stain the black fabric.

"Roxas, what were you thinking?" Xion's voice quavered, "I thought you two were best friends."

Roxas couldn't say anything. He didn't want to disappoint her.

"Did you do this to him?"

He felt bad. True he deserved what came to him, but Roxas was never this violent. The boy only ever hurt Heartless, and that's only because they were monsters that had to be killed. He'd never raised a hand on another Nobody.

Axel's eyes slowly opened. He audibly sucked in air when it hurt to sit up. Roxas looked at him with a blank stare. Axel couldn't bring himself to look back. He brushed himself off, and then walked to the island where they'd spent their vacation. Xion went to Roxas on her knees. She placed both hands on his chest and cast Cura. Roxas hoped she wouldn't see him blush, or that her hands would feel his heart ramming against his ribs. He felt a tingling and looked down to see his chest had completely healed. There wasn't even a scar to say that he'd been cut in the first place.

"Roxas… you need to go sort this out. You guys are supposed to be best friends. I don't know why you're fighting, but it needs to stop. I don't like it. It's always been the three of us, you know? I don't want that to end…"

Xion sat back, her knees brushing Roxas's.

"Xion…" Roxas didn't know what to say. How could he forgive Axel? After all that, how could he?

"Please, Roxas…"

He nodded on instinct. He'd do anything for Xion, even if it cost him his life.

"But… Xion, before I do, can I know…?"

"What?"

"… Why are your eyes silver?"

It was true. Xion's eyes had turned milky white. Where her gorgeous blue irises used to be there was nothing but a silver sphere; she didn't even have pupils. Roxas wondered how she could see. He guessed Naminé couldn't save all of her though she was still beautiful to him. (Ironically) soulless silver eyes seemed perfect on her. His little angel…

"They are?" Xion didn't notice, "My hair's longer too."

"Yeah… It looks nice."

She smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear (since it was now long enough). Roxas loved it when she smiled. Xion caught him staring at her, "Roxas, stop it."

He blushed, "S-sorry!"

The boy got up and went after Axel. Xion sat there in wonder. Why was he staring at her like that? Was there something on her face? She blushed herself, holding her face in her black-gloved hands. Riku let out a small laugh, and then followed Roxas to make sure Axel didn't try anything. He paused, turning his head to look at Xion.

"Hey, don't take him for granted."

She watched him with side eyes, "What?"

"A lot of people took Sora for granted. When he left, no one cared. Some even forgot about him. Just… keep Roxas in your heart. I can see that you're in his."

Her face only grew redder, "N-no I'm not!"

Riku found this cute. She's just like Roxas and Sora that way, always getting embarrassed. He simply rubbed her on the head, presuming his journey to the islet. As he made his way over, he glanced over his shoulder. Xion was smiling with her hands on her heart.


	7. Chapter 7

"Axel! Axel, where are you?" Roxas called to the Nobody. He was nowhere to be found. There weren't even footprints in the sand for Roxas to follow. Any trace of Axel was invisible.

"What are you doing?"

Even though the voice didn't sound anything like Axel's, Roxas quickly turned around in the hopes that it was Axel who'd asked. It was just Riku, standing there without emotion. It was amazing to Roxas how little feeling this regular person showed as compared to a Nobody.

Riku imagined Roxas as a puppy with its ears drooping, "Axel isn't here…"

"He'll be back."

"How do you know that?" Roxas looked down at his shoes.

He didn't give him an answer. Riku left him to return to God knows where. Roxas was alone with the setting sun. He looked to the slanted tree on the island. Xion and he had sat there while Axel leaned against the end. They all laughed about random things and enjoyed Sea Salt ice cream. Was that really the best time of his life…? Roxas shook his head to clear the thought. That couldn't possibly be true. He sighed, climbing on to the tree to have his legs dangle over the edge.

The sun had started to fade. It turned the sky pink, the water mirroring its hue. Roxas wondered if it looked the same at the clock tower. That was probably where Axel was. Was Axel watching the same sunset? He started craving the salty sweetness of Sea Salt Ice Cream…

"I guess you didn't find him, huh?" Roxas saw Xion out of the corner of his eye. She stood at the end, where Axel belonged, with a hand on the tree's gray trunk.

He kept his eyes focused on the sand in front of him, "No."

Xion's voice was gentle, understanding even, when she asked, "Do you want to look for him?"

Roxas could have said yes to be polite, but let's face it, the last thing he wanted to see was Axel's face. He could have lied… he didn't want to do that to Xion. She deserved better than that. Besides, him lying to her wouldn't make him any better than what's-his-face. So, he was honest, and replied with a dead "No."

Her smile, if he saw it, was sad, "Okay."

There was silence. Noises from the shore broke it. The pair gazed in its direction to see Wakka tugging along a tired Tidus. He tossed the kid into a row boat, and then grabbed the oars to make his way home. Wakka laughed at Tidus, clearly mocking him for being so passed out. The boys and their racket were swallowed by distance as they returned to the mainland. Xion smiled at the friendly scene. Roxas watched her; saddened that he most likely ruined her friendly scene.

Xion jumped on to the trunk next to him. She twined her hands together in her lap and focused her eyes on them, "Roxas, you and I have hearts, right?"

He mumbled, "Mhmm."

"… Am I in your heart?"

Roxas hardly heard her. His mind was elsewhere, wondering whether or not he should go to the clock tower early tomorrow morning and just beat the shit out of him. When Xion spoke, he only registered the fact that someone asked him a question. Whatever it was, he doubted it was anything important so he repeated, "Mhmm."

Xion was expecting something a little more heartfelt. It was like anonymously asking the love of your life if they loved you back. If all you got was a casual "yeah" then it was like saying "I like you, but only enough to see you as a friend and never really fall in love with you". What Roxas just gave her was less than that, practically amounting to nothing. He might as well have said, "No, get the hell away from me you pathetic clingy bitch."

She felt like crying and running away, but she held her ground. That was probably what Roxas wanted, right? Little did she know that Roxas was hardly aware of her right now and wouldn't care either way if she stayed or left. Why didn't she leave him already? Axel did.

"I'm going to bed, Roxas." Xion stood, "I hope you get your head back."

Another "Mhmm."

Before she left, she turned to Roxas. She made sure he was looking her in the eye (or at least it appeared that way) when she slugged him in the face. Her knuckles crunched on his cheek as they literally knocked him off the tree. Roxas stared up at her, surprised that she would hit him, and actually kind of curious as to when she got here. What was she so mad about? The poor boy was left to the pressure of having two friends mad at him as Xion stormed off to the tree house.

"What did I do…?" Roxas whimpered as he rubbed his sore cheek. He would have been mad if it wasn't Xion. He couldn't get mad at her. Besides, whatever it was he did, he probably deserved worse than a punch to the face. Xion's merciful that way. Even though Roxas didn't have a clue to what was wrong, he still felt guilty as if it was he who had betrayed her.

Poor Roxas. He had a dickhead of a "best friend", and what he had left of his real best friend was mad at him for God-knows-why. It was all too much for the kid. Sixteen years old, according to Sora being sixteen, and this boy had the weight of his world on his shoulders. It wasn't fair, Roxas thought, that as insignificant as he was, he had to put up with all this. Sora's the Keyblade Master, not him. Let him deal with pissed-off friends.

… Someone from the Organization had once told him that life was unfair. Roxas understood now. This person elaborated with "so suck it up and carry on". That's exactly what Roxas did. He accepted this as part of the whole deal of having a heart, and shifted his mind to focus on what could have made Xion so angry with him.

It wasn't like Roxas did anything on purpose. In fact, he made a point to never do anything that would annoy Xion—though for all he knew, he could've been a pest to her this whole time. He hoped that wasn't true. Roxas held her close to him; she's the only thing he's ever wanted to keep for himself. She's his best friend, the only one he really cares about. Xion was the only thing, aside from Axel, that made the Organization fun. They made it feel like home. Now, with Axel gone and the Organization surely out to kill them, Xion was his only home now.

"What did I do wrong, Xion?" he curled up on his side into a ball, the chilling air making him cold, "Please tell me, Xion… I don't want to hurt you… I never wanted to…"

The special Nobody fell asleep like this, his heart aching for answers, for comfort. Wasn't there anyone in the worlds that could care about him, help him? His body trembled as the cold stole his heat from him. Not even the thousands of stars, as beautiful as they were, watched over him. They all seemed to be watching the cloaked figure approaching Roxas from the bridge. It came over to Roxas and knelt down to his level. A black hand came down to pet his spiked hair.

"Oh, Roxas…" Xion pitied him. Now she felt bad; she just added to the stress that Axel caused. Roxas didn't need to worry about her on top of that, "I'm so sorry, Roxas… I wish I could help." She shook his shoulder a little, "Wake up. You can't sleep out here!"

Roxas didn't wake, though he leaned into the warmth of her palm. His hand came up to grab her arm. She gasped as he pulled her onto the ground with him and encircled her in his arms. Xion felt her face flush, and almost glad that Roxas couldn't see her in the dark even if he opened his eyes. It wasn't what Xion had planned at all. All she wanted to do was get him to talk to her and possibly get him to change his mind about Axel. The most she'd ask for is if he left that night to look for him. But then she found him asleep. And now she was on the sand with him. This was going a lot farther than intended.

Xion tried to escape his grasp, but Roxas was stronger than he looked and held her tighter. However, Xion wanted to avoid an awkward conversation where Roxas woke and found her glaring at him from his arms. That'd be beyond weird. So, Xion decided to sleep here. She'd just have to wake up earlier than him and go back to the tree house. Simple, right?

As it was uncomfortable like this, Xion shifted so she was facing Roxas. His arms still kept her pressed up against him. Xion could feel his heart slowly beating against her cheek. She pulled back enough to see his face. It'd never occurred to how peaceful; innocent even, Roxas looked in his sleep. He seemed precious this way. Xion dared to bring her hand up and stroke his face. A small smile spread on his lips. She smiled herself as she returned her head to his chest. The girl dove into slumber listening to Roxas's heart—the most secure sleep she'd ever had in her entire life.


	8. Chapter 8

Roxas awoke the next morning to feel something pressed up against him. He froze when he saw it was a girl in a black cloak with black hair. How did Xion get here? WHEN did she get here? And... and...

And why was she so beautiful?

Her face was perfect, delicate yet defined. Eyes (if they were open) shining, small nose adorable, lips so inviting...

Roxas blinked hard to clear the thought. What was he thinking? As delightful as that'd be, that's definitly not an appropriate wake-up call! He took in a deep breathe, which wasn't as helpful as he thought-he ended up inhaling the sweet aroma of her hair. It smelled like strawberries, mixed with some flower Roxas couldn't even name. Whatever flower it was, it couldn't compare to Xion's beauty.

She began to stir, though didn't wake. Roxas felt her inch closer to him. He loved having her this close. Her heart beating below his, her hands on his chest, her entire body touching his... God, why couldn't everything be this simple and wonderful?

Xion's eyes slowly fluttered open. She suddenly remembered where she was and looked up. The two locked eyes. They didn't have anything to say. What are you supposed to say when you (unknowingly) wake up in the arms of your best friend? Utter shock had struck both their faces. Finally, Xion silently thanked whoever was listening, Roxas spoke, "So..." he laughed awkwardly, "Does this mean you forgive me?"

She blinked as a small smile appeared on her mouth. The smile turned into a grin, and that grin opened into a laugh. Of course. Roxas could be an idiot, but he always knew what to say afterwards. Immediately forgiven, she brought up her arms to wrap them around his neck. He hugged her back around the waist, happy that he had his friend back on his side. They got to their feet, together as friends as if nothing had ever happened.

As the pair walked along the beach, the water lapping away at their feet, Xion looked to Roxas, "Hey. I know you don't want to hear this, but-"

"I know." Roxas's mood darkened. Why did she have to bring HIM up? "Don't worry, I'll look for him."

She smiled. All he could do that wouldn't worry her was smile back. Sadly, if he did find him, all wouldn't be forgiving and happiness. It'd be more blood, more hurt, and if Roxas could help it, a fading Axel.

"Hey." Xion looked up to see Riku approaching. Roxas recognized the voice and kept his eyes to the shore. He noticed how his foot prints where the same size as Xion's, though rounder at the toes because of his shoes.

"Riku, we're going to look for Axel." Xion said with some reassurance.

"Wait." Roxas turned Xion to face him, "'We'?"

"I'm going with you."

This was news to him, "No! Xion it's-"

"Before you say 'it's too dangerous'," Xion had a challenging look in her eyes, "May I remind you that I've saved your sorry butt at least a thousand times?"

"I don't care! You're not coming!"

"And why not?"

Roxas couldn't answer. How could he tell her something as cruel as 'I don't want you to be there when I kill my best friend'.

Riku cut in, "Be on your way, both of you. Here, I'll send you to a new world."

The two watched Riku open a Corridor of Darkness. It's dark aura, once homely, actually sent chills down Roxas's spine. He thought twice about entering this door that would lead him to somewhere else, somewhere he's never been to before. A newfound protective instinct made Roxas want to keep Xion away from the black portal.

"Where are you sending us?" Xion asked wearily.

"Nowhere special. There's a low Heartless count and practically no one there. You shouldn't have too much trouble."

"What's the name of the world?"

"You don't need to know."

Okay, thought Roxas, this is where I draw the line. There was no way-

Xion turned and walked straight into the portal. Roxas stared after her open-mouthed. Now he had no choice. He made a point to glare at Riku as he passed him to follow Xion into the unknown.

Riku laughed, "Alright, let's see if you can make it."

The portal closed, as did the Nobodies' way back.

Some sort of kick threw Roxas and Xion into the next world. Roxas tumbled through some sort of chilling powder. White dots smacked his face when he stood. A powerful gust of wind knocked him back down. He coughed; cold air pierced his lungs.

"Xion...?" he managed to say, "Xion, where are you?"

There was no response. Roxas doubted he would've heard it anyway over the screaming gale. He yelled, "Xion!" and, to his surprise, the yell turned into a howl. His mouth opened wide to unleash a dog's soulful call. For a second he stopped, but it seemed to be louder than his average voice. Roxas reproduced the sound, praying Xion could hear him.

Sure enough, he heard a howl in reply. It sounded like a higher-pitched howl, but Roxas somehow knew it was Xion. He got to his feet, starting to run toward her. More wind pushed at his side, but that's not what tripped him. He felt as if he had two left feet. When he looked down, he saw that he did. Four light brown paws, the color of his hair with white socks, were beneath him.

Were they his? Roxas shifted his left leg. Sure enough, the left front leg lifted on his command. His eyes widened. What happened to him?

"Roxas!"

Roxas looked to see Xion approach him. He stared at her. Xion wasn't human anymore. What came near him was a black wolf.

Her fur was deeper than a black hole, the color of darkness itself. Tiny paws (without socks) gave way to little white claws. A plume of a tail wagged from behind her. Past all that, Roxas saw she still had shimmering silver eyes that were a beacon out of the dirty wind.

Xion stared right back at him in similar awe. How come Roxas looked like a wolf? Granted, a wolf with his spiky hairstyle. He actually looked kind of cool, but in a funny way. She would have laughed at him if they were in better circumstances.

"R-Roxas...?" Xion was at a loss for words. What happened to them? Where did Riku send them? How come she had a long nose...?

He nodded-he felt his chin touch some chest fur, "It's me, Xion."

"I'm c-cold..."

That seemed to astonish him more, "You're cold? But you have fur! I have fur just like you and I'm fine."

"Well, I'm n-not!"

"Alright... come here."

Roxas carefully maneuvered his paws to walk over to her. He pressed his chest to hers to share his body heat. Xion was too cold to care and pressed closer, eager to become warmer.

"We n-need to find sh-shelter." Xion's muffled voice vibrated on his breast bone, "It's t-t-too cold out here... We'll n-never get anywh-where in this storm."

"If you say so."

The wolf-boy chose a direction to walk so that the wind was at their backs. Xion's spirit sank when Roxas removed his fur from her face. He didn't notice, but made Xion walk in front of him so he would take most of the harsh gusts. Besides, better her lead than him. Though, neither of the wolves had any idea where they were or where they were going.

"The s-sun rise-s in the east and s-sets in the west-st!" she barked over the wind, "C-can you see the sun?"

Roxas brought his face up. Cold dots shot up his wet nose, making him whimper and recoil. However, in the few seconds he could see the sky, all he saw was a gray atmosphere. He didn't think this world even had a sun.

"No!" he yelled back, "I can't see anything!"

"Perfect..." he heard her growl to herself.

The two shoved their way through the thick air. They kept their heads down to shield their faces from the whipping white flecks. Roxas, still struggling to control his new body, tried to keep his tail in between his legs so it'd quit smacking him on the sides. On the other hand, Xion had adjusted to the feeling of being a quadruped and was easily manipulating her form to try to stay warmer. It wasn't that black and white.

For some reason, even though Roxas absorbed mostly all the wind, Xion still felt chilled to the bone. The storm seemed to stab at her heart, chilling her to the very core. It hurt to have her heart beating. To be alive seemed to be the worst idea to Xion.

After an hour of walking, the pain had become too much. She began coughing. When Roxas looked down he saw red flecks in the white powder. He looked to Xion, "Xion, are you-"

Xion stopped altogether and began retching. Roxas ran to face her front. As his paws skid in the resisting ground, his body grew still when he saw the powder before Xion was dyed completely red. Blood dripped from Xion's open maw, clinging to her teeth and rolling off her tongue. Her entire body visibly trembled.

"Xion!" Roxas gasped. He had just enough time to catch her when she collapsed into the red spot. He didn't want to hurt her, but some sort of animal-like urge made him grab the back of her neck with his mouth. With loose skin in between his teeth, Roxas pulled Xion onto his back. A steady heartbeat thumped against his shoulders, nulling his alarm.

What should have slowed him down didn't really have an effect on Roxas. Xion's weight was nothing. The boy carried her with ease, walking through the wind as if it were literally a walk in the park. He trekked on, looking for something, anything, that could shield his friend from the cold.

"Don't worry, Xion," he told her, as if she could hear him, "I'll save you!"


	9. Chapter 9

While the two were stranded in a snow storm, Riku had repaid a visit to Yen Sid. As he walked up the steps to his main room, Riku smirked to himself. What he did was unforgivable, but he didn't want to be forgiven. In fact, the boy felt he deserved a little praise.

He knew Xion wouldn't make it. Roxas would be fine-he had a heart, and now that he wasn't a part of Sora, his own person. Xion on the other hand... she was a puppet: a purely fabricated being. She would eventually fade away with nothing stabilizing her. Usually, the Organization's trademark black coat would keep away the darkness. One can't wear a coat when one is in a world where clothes aren't an option.

The darkness would overtake Xion, making her fade away, this time for good.

Riku smiled. Oh, how clever he was. Those two idiots completely trusted him. What a fatal mistake. He would set things right, and get rid of that selfish "Nobody".

Namine shouldn't have died. Not for something that shouldn't have existed in the first place. Riku would avenge her. And she would be happy... right? She'd never been the type to hold a grudge but Riku couldn't just let it go. It was wrong to let Xion live.

Little did Riku know-or maybe he did know and refused to acknowledge it-but Namine made the decision to sacrifice herself for a reason. Her death was not in vain. To let Xion live, she believed, was truly something worth dying for. Xion wasn't selfish at all; she was prepared to give her own life to wake Sora, but Namine offered another solution and she simply agreed to it. Maybe Namine had seen a future where Xion was alive, and all the worlds were safe. Maybe that's why...

Riku reached the door with the glowing moon crested on its wood. He turned the handle and walked in. As promised, the old wizard was sitting at his desk waiting for him. The boy knew Yen Sid expected him to bow before him, like everyone else did. He was, after all, the King's teacher. Everybody knew and respected him.

Not Riku. His arrogance only let himself respect those that had proven themselves to him. This old man was just that: an old man. Riku saw no reason to respect him and did not bow. Yen Sid was lucky enough that Riku bothered climbing the stairs instead of just teleporting to the main room.

"Riku, have a seat." he invited warmly. With a wave of his hand, a fairly large chair appeared before the desk. Riku made no move to sit down. Why should he sit before this man? Standing, to him, was a sign that he was in control, not the wizard behind the large table.

"Where's Sora?" Riku said it more like a statement than a question. He already knew his friend was on his journey, as planned ahead of time between him and the King, but he wanted an exact location. The moron would undoubtedly get into trouble and Riku wanted to be there to get his sorry ass out of danger.

"What do you mean? How am I to know where-"

Riku flashed his dark Keyblade at the wizard's face, "Don't give me any of that bullshit. You know exactly where he is. Tell me where Sora is. Tell me, or I may just do something reckless." he proved his point by pressing his Key's tip onto Yen Sid's cheek.

Yen Sid let a flash of fear appear in his eyes, though it went away. He knew better than to let Riku know he was afraid. A hand came up to lightly push away Way to the Dawn.

"By now, Sora should be at Radiant Garden."

"And where's that?"

"My apologies... that world hasn't gone by that name in a long time. You will know it as Hollow Bastion."

Riku didn't even give a 'thanks' as he created a dark portal and vanished into the black wisp. He got his information. There was no reason for him to stick around. The supposed "meeting" that was supposed to take place didn't interest Riku anymore.

The boy reappeared in the plaza of Hollow Bastion. Stores for armour, weapons, and traveling items surrounded an open area of a light-blue brick. At the end of the chain was an ice cream shoppe, where some old duck was trying to recreate Sea Salt Ice Cream. Leaning against the farthest wall of the shoppe was a man in black. His blonde spiky hair made him look kind of like an older version of Roxas.

However, Roxas wouldn't have as much darkness inside him as this ex-Soldier did.

"You." Riku approached him. The man opened his eyes, though kept his stance with his arms crossed. His blue eyes locked on to Riku like prey.

"Me." he said.

Riku didn't really know this man, but he knew that Sora had encountered him before.

"Have you seen Sora?" Riku asked with the same low-level of emotion.

The man stood tall, his muscles tense for a fight, "Who wants to know?"

"Me."

This wasn't a good enough answer for the ex-Soldier. He tightened up, ready to attack. Riku really would've loved thrashing this guy into a bloody mess, but he didn't have enough interest in an opponent so much weaker than him. He summoned Way to the Dawn.

"I'm a friend."

The mere sight of a Keyblade was enough to pacify the man. He straightened up, calming down enough to have a normal conversation, "I'd like to know your name."

"Riku."

"Cloud. Sora just passed by; he's at Merlin's."

Merlin? Had to be another one of Sora's allies. Riku continued on his way, muttering "thank you for your time" to Cloud as he passed into the First District.


	10. Chapter 10

Roxas had been wandering for hours and hours on end. Even now, with Xion's weightless figure on his back, Roxas shivered at having traveled so long. All of it seemed to be pointless. The storm surrounding them was endless. His muscles were exhausted, screaming at him to stop. How could he stop? Xion needed help!

"It's okay... X-Xion..." he panted, which actually relieved him somewhat, "I'll f... find shelter... and someone that can... help..."

It'd occured to him a while ago to try healing her. But, even Curaga, the most powerful healing spell he could cast, proved to be groundless. He would've tried using a Hi-potion; he wasn't wearing his coat and therefore didn't have pockets.

The legs beneath Roxas started to slow down. They shook, begging for rest. Without Roxas's consent, they gave way and Roxas was lying down with Xion on his back. He wanted to get up but they refused to move. Xion moaned from behind him.

"X-Xion..." tears welled up in his eyes, "I'm so sorry, Xion... It's all my fault! I shouldn't have let you come... If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be like this..."

Now the system was reveresed, he noticed. Xion was shielding him from the wind. It couldn't be like that; Roxas removed her from his back. It took a lot more effort than he thought to move himself to be on top of her. He pressed deep onto her back, hoping his warmth would have at least some affect on her.

"I'm so sorry..." Roxas buried his face in her neck, her soft black fur soaking up his sobs.

A howl made Roxas's head whip up. It was the first sound he'd heard since Xion fell, besides the chorus of the wind. Where had that come from? Was it a friend?

Roxas sniffed and blinked. He brought up his snout to howl. That howl, filled with all his might and power, had to signal their position, right? Another cry, one louder than the last, did bring some dark shape near them.

From the sillouette that came into focus, Roxas saw it was a wolf a little big bigger than he and Xion. It had big spiky fur on its shoulders. Roxas recalled spiky hair...

"Axel?" he shouted. The figure's glowing yellow eyes focused in on Roxas, "Axel, is that you?"

The wolf walked closer enough so that Roxas could see him. Whatever that was, it wasn't Axel. This wolf, actually a husky with black fur, white socks, a white belly whose white extended to the tip of his tail, and white fur on its nose and eyes, didn't even come close to resembling Axel. It's bulky form with lots of chest fur betrayed Axek's slim and lithe figure. That, and its square-shaped head just didn't fit right on Axel's shoulders.

"Who are you puppies?" the sled-dog scoffed, clearly in a bad mood.

"We're not puppies!" Roxas's ears had drawn back. He didn't trust this dog, "And we need your help!"

"You want my help? Brush my fur and then we'll talk!" he laughed at his own joke.

Roxas had begun growling.

"You have got to be one of the biggest losers I've ever met."

"That's not very nice."

"Like I'd try to be nice to someone this pathetic."

"We're the pathetic ones? What about you? You're the one stranded alone in this storm!"

Roxas wasn't persceptive at all; it was a wild guess that proved true. This dog was speperated from, more rather abandoned by, his sled team.

The dog's cocky demeanor thinned to turn into rage. His ears drew back, his lips opening to reveal an impressive set of white fangs, "You know what I think?"

It was retorical, but dimwit Roxas didn't know and answered with his own smack-talk, "No, but I think you should leave us alone."

That did it. The husky lunged forward and grabbed Roxas by the neck. He bit down hard enough on his scruff to draw blood. He threw Roxas off of Xion, the blood on his teeth making him look like a demon. Roxas found vigor in the battle and got to his feet to attack. His opponent was about to strike again when someone called from behind them, "Steele!"

The dog turned at the sound of his name. A team of sled dogs all attatched to a sled by harnesses came into their view. At the lead of the team, Roxas saw, was a dog that looked different from the others. He had brown fur with a lighter-tinted belly, and dark chesnut ears. The lead dog was scruffy-looking, kind of like a wolf.

"I should've known." Steele kept snarling, "You just had to come here, didn't you? You just had to follow me and save me, just had to be the hero?"

The lead wolf-dog unhooked himself from his harness and left the team to rest. He approached Steele with some caution, "Steele-"

"I was supposed to be the hero! It was MY job to deliver the medicine! All that glory, all that fame! And you STOLE it from me!"

The wolf-dog tried to explain, "Steele, I didn't take it from you."

"YES YOU DID!"

Dark flames came out of thin air and started gathering on Steele. It sunk into his skin, his greed absorbing the shadow. His fur grew longer, spikes shot out from his back, his tail turned into that of a serpent. Horns protruded out of his forhead; his claws became large talons. His eyes literally glowed yellow. The Heartless emblem faded into his chest fur.

"Steele?" Wolf-dog sounded nervous.

"Get away from him!" Roxas screamed to the wolf-dog, "He's become a Heartless!"

He had just enough time to dodge before Steele slashed at him with his claws. Had the husky gotten bigger? He was at least four times Roxas's size!

Roxas pushed himself to his paws, summoning Kingdom Key in his mouth. He tried to take a step farther, but all his paws could manage was standing. The boy stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Hey!" the wolf-dog called to Roxas, "I don't know what that thing is, but can it shoot?"

Shoot? Roxas never tried that. He tried forcing light through the Keyblade's tip. Spears of light, similar to Xigbar's bullets, shot out of the Key. They honed in on the Heartless symbol, hitting dead-on, causing major damage. Steele yowled in pain, a noise unlike one that belonged to a dog.

That was all Roxas could do. An attack powered by his light drained all his stamina. Somehow the wolf-dog saw this and ran straight into Steele's range of attack. Roxas was about to yell at him but he saw the wolf-dog leap to grab the Heartless's throat fur. His claws dug into the furry footholds, allowing him to ascend, though not without difficulty. Steele swung his head side to side to try and get the mini wolf-dog off.

The wolf-dog made it to the top of Steele's head. He'd grabbed on to one of his horns. His teeth hung on for dear life as the Heartless tried to release his hold. To Roxas's astonishment, he didn't lose his grip. In the millisecond Steele stopped shaking, the wolf-dog let go and bit into Steele's eye. Blood shot out of the wolf-dog's mouth as Steele let out an ear-piercing cry. It shook Roxas and jarred his bones.

Steele got his enemy off, bringing his paw up to rub his empty eyesocket. The wolf-dog landed on his feet a little distance from Roxas. He stared in awe at the bravery of this lead dog.

"Get his other eye!" the wolf-dog didn't even sound tired, and Roxas was stunned that his eyes looked determined, but calm, "We'd have a better advantage if he can't see!"

Roxas nodded, still trying to find his strength. He decided to go with a simple fire spell. A fire ball shot out of the tip of the Key, zipping upward to singe Steele's remaining eye.

Steele staggered backward, blood flying out of his sockets like crimson streamers. The wolf-dog took this chance to run up Steele's front paw, leaping to his chest to grasp the Heartless mark in his fangs. He bit down hard, hard enough to make the symbol flicker. Roxas watched in amazement as the wolf-dog bit him one last time, and then was batted away by a blind strike from Steele. A gargantuan paw smacked the wolf-dog away; Roxas could heard the snap of his ribs. The lead dog didn't get up.

In a moment of fury, Steele went charging in a random direction. Figures that random direction was aimed at Xion, whom hadn't moved this entire time. Roxas watched in horror as he drew closer. Adreniline shot through him, allowing him to spring up and hit Steele on the side. It redirected him to run away from everyone. There was no way Roxas could let such a monstrosity live. It could hurt Xion! His legs ran faster than he ever thought they could. Tail flapping in his tailwind, Roxas raced after Steele.


	11. Chapter 11

Steele had led Roxas to a forest, where Roxas could bring Xion afterwards. The hundreds of clustering pine trees soaked up all of the wind. Not one white dot smacked Roxas in the face. If he weren't chasing a Heartless, he would've taken this oppurtunity to shake off the white that had covered his body.

The large husky had barreled through the evergreens, knocking them over and forming a trail. Roxas surged after him. A new energy rippled through Roxas. He recalled Lexaeus trying to explain it to him back when he worked for the Organization. What was it, a Limit Break?

A cry shook the boy from his thoughts. Steele had run into a stone wall. Normally it would have been hysterical, especially the way Steele swayed like a cartoon did after hit by a frying pan. Roxas, in the heat of battle, didn't laugh and leapt onto Steele's back. His Keyblade's tip was rammed into Steele's shoulder, right where the shoulder-blade met the upper arm. Roxas used it like a crowbar and pushed to pop the arm out of place.

Finally getting a little smarter, Steele reared up on his hind legs. Roxas didn't know what he was going to do and did all he could think to do: he hung on.

Big mistake.

Steele landed on his back, crushing Roxas. He cried out, tears streaming down his cheeks as every bone in his body either snapped or was mashed to powder. The Heartless heard him with a dark satisfaction. It rolled over, making Roxas shout even more. Getting to his feet, Steele turned, remembered his opponent's location, and pinned his crippled form with an enormous paw.

The Heartless actually laughed, a deep mocking sound that brought out the worst of Roxas's rage. He opened his mouth to retort, but he felt the paw press on him, until he hit the dirt beneath the snow. It pressed harder, forcing out a howl filled with agony.

Suddenly the deadweight was lifted off of Roxas. His neck, though not exactly broken, wasn't positioned right so he couldn't look up. He shifted his eyes to see what had saved him.

Standing silently between Roxas and Steele was another wolf. It was silver, with a silver spiky mane. The gleam of it reminded Roxas of Xion's eyes.

It was a flash of light as it jumped to grab Steele's Heartless mark in its fangs. Blood exploded out of the wolf's mouth as the mark disappeared entirely from Steele's chest. The wolf released its hold, landing gracefully before Roxas. Behind him, Steele had fallen over and faded, just like all Heartless do when defeated. He released a giant green heart that floated up to join the haven of Kingdom Hearts.

Covered in blood and snow, Roxas lay breathing heavily on the ground, as if breathing a certain way would make the pain go away. Anything, anything to make the pain go away.

The silver wolf lowered its muzzle to whisper in Roxas's ear, "Don't move."

That voice... "Riku...?"

Roxas obeyed, closing his eyes and laying still. Instantly, he felt the fangs of another wolf being sliced through his throat. The feeling of his blood actually flowing out of his neck overtook Roxas; he could feel his life draining away from him. As the fangs slid out, Roxas could hear Riku's voice, soft and gentle from above him:

"Good boy."

Slowly, painfully, Roxas's sight became blurred shapes. Shapes became colors. All the colors began to fade, until there was only black. His eyes opened and closed, though there was no difference. There was only darkness.

Meanwhile, back in the blizzard, the lead dog had gotten to his feet. He'd only been unconscious and came to. As he searched his surroundings for that wolf and Steele, he found another wolf lying in the snow. It was that black wolf the brown one was with. Her ears flicked, her legs kicked. Was she having a dream?

The wolf-dog asked her, "You okay?"

Her eyes opened to show a pair of silver circles. The wolf-dog saw eyes like those; they were blind eyes on a dog.

"Are you okay?" he asked again, "Can you see?"

She looked exactly into his eyes, "Of course I can see. Where's Roxas?"

"Roxas?"

"My friend."

"I think he ran after that thing... He called it a 'Heartless'."

That seemed to frighten her. She got to her feet, "Where?"

"I don't know."

Her alarm seemed to grow.

"Don't be so afraid." His smile was soothing, "My name is Balto. My team and I will get you home."

"Home?"

"Yeah, home. You live in Nome, right?"

Her ears flattened against her head, "No. My home is with Roxas."

Balto's helpful manner faltered, "I'd help you find him but... see that box over there?"

She looked to where he was pointing with his paw. On the sled, where the team of dogs was sleeping in a huddled bunch, was a box with a lantern tied on to the top.

"That's medicine. People at Nome are dying without it. I need to take it there so Rosie will be okay..."

"Then go!" she didn't people to die because of her, "Go, I'll look for Roxas!"

"No! You have no idea where he is!"

It hurt how true that was.

"Come back with me. You'll be safe and warm."

"No, I have to wait for Roxas! I'll just wait for you here."

"You'll die of hunger by the time I get back to you. Just please, come with me. As soon as Nome has the medicine, we, you and I, will go back and look for him. Okay? I promise, we'll go back."

The girl saw no better option. She agreed to follow. Balto and his team was about to leave when she slipped into an empty harness near the front. One of the dogs behind her asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Xion. Pleased to meet you." she tried a smile, even though her heart was sad.

He smiled back. The team seemed happy to have another dog helping them pull the sled "Then let's go, Xion!"

The team mushed on, Balto at the lead.


	12. Chapter 12

Cheers erupted around the sled team as they entered the small town of Nome, Alaska. Old-fashioned lanterns kept the path bright in the night sky. Hands came down to scratch the heads of the dogs, a small reward for their hardship. Xion had her mind set on Roxas, worrying and praying for his safe return. She didn't even notice when a child had accidentally stepped on her tail.

Gloved hands removed the team's harnesses, rubbing their backs and saying things like "good boy; you're a good boy!" As soon as the harness was off, a high-pitched bark awoke Xion. In front of her there was a red husky who had run up and was now barking happily with Balto. She licked his face, nuzzling her nose into his neck fur. Xion, for a brief moment, forgot where she was and smiled. Maybe if she found Roxas, she could nuzzle him. Maybe...

"Good girl!" a man said to her as he unclipped her harness. She flinched; she didn't expect him to rub her head. But... it felt nice. Her tongue came out to lick his face, an urge she regretted later as the man tasted like cold tobacco.

Xion slipped out of the crowd, not wanting to be overwhelmed with attention.

The snow at night looked blue to Xion. She walked a little outside of town, where there was no blizzard but just a calm night sky. Billions of stars unaffected by mankind's lights twinkled down at the black wolf. As beautiful as it was, it was all empty to Xion. Roxas wasn't here. There could be no sky without him.

She raised her head to the heavens and howled. When finished, she was only saddened more by the silent reply. Xion closed her eyes.

_It was Xion's seventeenth day at the Organization. She had a longer recovery period than the other members, though she didn't think it was that long. Xion didn't really think at all. At the time, 'she' was an 'it'. It was Sora's memories that changed 'it' to 'her'. _

Day 23: Silent Companion

Today was Xion's first mission. Roxas was in charge. Roxas, to her, felt very familiar. Just being around him seemed to be where she belonged.

They went to Twilight Town to defeat a Poison Plant Heartless. She didn't speak throughout the entire mission-she was still trying to bring her thoughts together to form thoughts and then words. But she remembered being sad when she had to RTC without Roxas.

Day 24: Silence Broken

Xion's second mission: going to Twilight Town with Roxas to eliminate a group of Heartless called Deserters. After she watched Roxas defeat them all, she thought "I wish I could be like him". As he walked off, leaving her to RTC by herself, she tried saying his name.

"R... Roxas..."

It was the first thing she'd ever said in her entire existence, his name. She felt proud of herself for having said it to him, and went home happy.

Day 25: Two Keys

That morning, Xion tried saying "good morning" to Roxas before leaving for Twilight Town again. Their mission is to defeat the Darkside, a "giant heartless threat". As they enter the world, Xion gets Roxas's attention. She took off her hood for the first time to reveal herself for the first time. Thanks to Sora, she looked like Kairi with black hair. "Good luck today." she tells Roxas. She feels a glow in her chest when he says "You too, Xion."

They manage to find the Heartless. Roxas did most of the work defeating it. Near the end, the Darkside slapped the Keyblade out of Roxas's hand and it lands before Xion. It disappears and reappears in her hand. She uses it to defeat the Darkside.

That was the day she learned to use the Keyblade. Roxas felt she deserved "a little something extra". He got her ice cream; they ate it at the top of the clock tower. She remembered it was sweet, yet salty at the same time. They talk about how Axel and Roxas would go out for ice cream all the time, after every mission, how Axel was Roxas's "first friend". Xion asks Roxas if she could be a friend. He tells her that when Axel gets back, all three of them could have ice cream together and be friends.

Xion opened her eyes and let the tears spill onto her cheeks. That was the start of her everything, of her and Roxas and Axel. It was so long ago, but it seemed like yesterday to her. There wasn't enough time. There couldn't be enough time with Roxas. Now it was ending...

Why, why did it have to end? Xion wanted more time. There was no way it could all just stop so easily, could it? Roxas had to be okay, right? He had to be...

"Are you Xion?"

Xion sniffed, and looked to see that red husky from before sit next to her. She looked like the kind of person that was really gentle, like she wanted to take care of everyone. A very motherly figure.

"Y-Yes. I'm Xion."

She offered a warm smile, "I'm Jetta, Balto's mate. Why don't you come on inside? We've got a bed and meal waiting for you."

Xion's stomach couldn't handle food, and her worry would keep her up. What was the point? It's not like it was cold out anymore.

"C'mon, the team's waiting for you."

As Xion began to follow Jetta back into town, a deep howl broke out in the sky. Xion looked up and saw streams of iridescent colors dancing across the sky. Greens, blues and purples striped the atmosphere.

"The Northern Lights..." Jetta breathed.

Xion was listening to the howl. It wasn't Roxas, but she knew it was a friend, "Riku."

Jetta whipped her head to face Xion, "Riku?"

Xion shut her eyes and howled back, pleading Riku to help. His howl back was earnest; he'd help. She smiled, "I have to go."

"But what about-"

Snow kicked up at Xion's heels as she ran in the direction the howl came from. "Thank Balto for me!" Xion barked over her shoulder. Jetta screamed after her, but she was ignored. Xion ran faster and faster. Riku would help her. They'd find Roxas, and everything would be okay!


	13. Chapter 13

Wind tugged at the fur on Xion's face as she pushed every muscle in her body to take her to Riku. Snow sprayed up around her claws that threw it into the air. Her tail flickered wildly in the gusts. Every other second she brought up her head to howl without stopping. Riku never howled in reply, though she noticed the Northern Lights remained, leading her to her inevitable savior.

Riku had saved her before. He'd save her again... wouldn't he?

A forest came into view. Tall evergreens towered above Xion, protecting her from the storm. She was shocked to see a large path cleared with fallen trees lining the side, like some giant beast had shoved through them. Blood splashed the white ground. Was Roxas here? The lights had faded away. This must be the place.

"Riku?" Xion called, "Riku, are you here?"

Xion wandered farther into the forest, following the path some monster had cleared. A few moments passed when a wolf walked out of the shadows. His steps were slow, measured, as if every move he made was premeditated.

"Riku?" Xion said hopefully.

This wolf was small, though slightly larger than she and Roxas. His fur was a deep blue-silver, practically blending in with the snow at night. The fur on the top of his head spiked forward to make bangs that hung over his right eye. Xion recognized that hairstyle anywhere... but how could that be...?

"Zexion...?" Xion gasped.

He didn't say anything, though a smug grin appeared on his face.

"No... no, that can't be! You're supposed to be dead!"

Zexion's trademark weapon, the Lexicon, appeared before him. It floated there as an unseen force turned the pages. Xion's Keyblade appeared in her mouth. This could not be good. She remembered the book's purpose and rushed to attack it, but Zexion had already attacked.

Twin ice spears made from snow on the ground shot at Xion's chest. She jumped up, doing a backflip over them. One managed to trim the fur on her back. When she landed, Xion fired a ball of flames at the Lexicon. Zexion made something new out of the snow: Vexen's shield. It absorbed the fire and flung it back at Xion. She struck it with the Key, destroying it before it could connect with her face.

"What...?" Xion stared at the shield. Vexen was dead too. How is this even possible? Members of the Organization can't use each other's weapons in the first place!

The shield vanished. A Corridor of Darkness appeared over Zexion, passing down him like a scanner. As it slowly returned to the air, Zexion had become human. His eyes, now that Xion had a minute to look at him, were empty. They used to be calculating, remembering, planning. Even though Zexion never had a heart, his eyes were always full of tactics. Why did he look like that...?

"Human...?" Xion shook her head. Now wasn't the time to get confused!

Zexion summoned a trio of Samurai Nobodies. They seemed to shimmer and were almost transparent.

"Illusions!" Xion smirked, "They're just illusions!"

Just as those words left her mouth, a Nobody slashed its sword across her left shoulder, slamming her into the snow. Xion roared, leaping up to do a sweeping attack that felled all three enemies in one hit. She instantly sliced through Zexion's abdomen, which faded on impact. The Nobody disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness.

"Zexion!" Xion screamed. He didn't show. Where Xion thought she had killed a clone, and the real Zexion to pop out of a tree, there was nothing. It was totally silent. The only sound was Xion's heavy breathing.

"Zexion!"

"He isn't here."

Xion turned to see a silver wolf standing in the center of the path. Its coat was the color of Riku's hair. As Xion sheathed the Keyblade and approached it, she saw it was keeping its eyes shut tight. Really tight, as if the world would end if he opened them.

"Riku?"

"Who else."

"Oh, thank God you're here!" Xion's tail wagged without her consent, "You need to help me, Roxas and I got separated and"

"I know where he is." Riku noticed that Xion still babbled just like Sora.

"Really?!"

He nodded, "Follow."

She happily traced his steps, finally having some hope that she would find Roxas. Now a little more calm, she could ask him, "Riku, how can you see?"

"How can you?"

The question stunned her, "What?"

"... Nevermind."

Riku was silent as he led Xion to the stone wall. When Xion asked about the large pool of blood, Riku gave her no answer. She didn't bother asking where the trail of blood went; they seemed to be going that way anyway. The streaks and kicked up snow showed a struggle, or someone dragging something heavy...

"Riku I"

The words came out in a choked gasp. There, in the small cave that Riku had found, was Roxas, covered in blood and on his side. She ran over to him, nudging him with her nose, then her front paws. Why won't he wake up? Why isn't he breathing...?

"Riku, Riku what happened to him? ... Is he... He'll be okay, right?" her heart slammed against her ribs as her eyes stung with sadness.

He came and sat next to her with his head raised as if he were looking into her eyes, "He killed the Heartless to protect you."

"But, he's okay right? Roxas he can't... he can't be..."

Xion burst into tears, collapsing onto Roxas's form. She cried out, her shoulders shaking as his still body took the heat of her sobs. Riku opened a single eye to watch her for real. This Nobody was totally losing it over absolutely nothing. It wasn't like Roxas was supposed to exist. Didn't she know that? Why was she crying so much? Riku shut his eyes tighter.

"Xion... Move."

Her head whipped up, "No!"

"Move."

Instantly Xion got to her feet and placed herself over Roxas. Her body trembled over his, though not because of her crying. The fur on her back had stiffened, making her look bigger; her tail was straight up in an alert manner. Ears drawn back, her face had contorted into that of pure terror. Xion's snout had scrunched up when her lips drew way back to expose her fangs. Long, stained with blood and poised to strike, her jaws opened wide to unleash an unreal snarl. Her eyes that were once gentle were now filled with one thousand emotions at once. All of her undying faith in Riku had been wholly diminished.

"Get away from him." Xion sounded thirsty for blood, "Stay away."

Riku wasn't scared. He actually found this kind of cute, "Or what?"

"I'll kill you! No one lays a hand on Roxas. NO ONE."

"You can't kill me Xion, even if you didn't want to. I'm your only way out."

Her snarls grew in magnitude.

"You can't make corridors anymore. Unless you want to die here, you need me."

"I do!"

For the first time in forever, Riku was actually shocked by this, "What?"

"I do! I do want to die!"

"... Okay what kind of shit you trying to pull?"

"Roxas is gone, gone because of you!" she growled louder. She didn't really know whose fault it was, but Riku was the only one there to blame, "If I die, I'll get to see him again! I can be with him forever!" her claws dug deeper into the dirt, "And I won't have to deal with YOU."

Riku stopped. He sighed, getting to his feet, "Fine. See if I care." as he walked outside, he paused to say over his shoulder, "Just know that there's nothing for you after death. You won't see anyone. You'll float in darkness for eternity, and there would be nothing you could do about it. The only thing you would achieve by dying would be ridding yourself of me. Just remember that as you go to stab your heart."

And with that, Riku walked out, leaving Xion alone with Roxas. She remained where she was, but lost it all over again. She lied on top of Roxas, pressing herself on him, trying to get as close as she could to him. Rough brown fur tickled her nose when she buried her face behind his cheek. Roxas couldn't be gone. Xion refused to accept it. He couldn't be gone, he couldn't! Then...

Then why did she feel so helpless?


	14. Chapter 14

Riku sat outside, not exactly ready to continue on to the next world. It didn't really matter to him whether or not Roxas died, it was Xion he wanted to dispose of. However, the way she reacted to that whole scene did shake Riku. Though he didn't show it, Riku was stunned by what Xion had turned into to defend Roxas. Did he really mean that much to her?

And what was it that Xion said about Zexion? Riku had killed Zexion himself in Castle Oblivion. He couldn't be alive! Besides, Riku didn't sense any presence other than Xion in the forest. He was certainly alone now. The forest was vacant of anyone except himself and the two in the cave.

"Riku... what a surprise to find you here."

Riku jumped at the deep voice. Who the hell was that?!

"You're doing your job well, protecting the Keyblade wielders."

"Show yourself!" Riku shouted.

A dark laugh responded, "But I'm right here. Can't you see me?"

Riku growled.

"Why don't you open your eyes?" the voice asked with mock curiosity, "You could see me then, couldn't you?

Riku grew tired of this man. He summoned Way to the Dawn and prepared for an attack.

"Calm yourslef, Riku. I did not come for a fight."

"Who are you?" Riku had never heard this voice before, but he couldn't attack by following it; it seemed to be coming from all directions.

"You will know me in time." the voice said, "Keep Sora safe."

Sora?

The forest was silent. Had the man gone away? Riku yelled, "Get back here!"

There was no response.

"Coward..." Riku huffed. He sheathed his Keyblade in a veil of darkness. The boy found no reason to stick around and made a Corridor. As he went to warp to Hollow Bastion, something stopped him. Xion's sobs had quieted down. Had she really...?

Curiosity took the best of Riku and pushed him to enter the cave. He found Xion lying on top of Roxas, still. Her shoulders moved slowly, her breathing even. When Riku shifted to see her face, he saw Roxas's fur was wet around Xion's face. The poor girl must have fallen asleep crying.

Riku grabbed her scruff in his mouth, gently removing her from Roxas. She hardly stirred as he laid her on the opposite side of the cave. A little whimper escaped her mouth, but she did not awaken.

The boy's attention switched back to Roxas. He stared at him for a while, thinking about what to do with his body. It suddenly occured to Riku that there shouldn't be a body. Heart or no heart, Roxas is a Nobody. He should be fading. Why is he still here?

"Hey." Riku barked. Roxas didn't react, but Riku felt a pulse of energy coming from the boy. Riku came right up to him and "looked" down at his face, "You're still alive, aren't you?"

Even though Riku couldn't see, he knew there was a slight twitch in his body.

Riku let out a small laugh, "Fine. Have it your way."

The silver wolf howled, a sweet deep voice that disturbed Xion. She quickly looked up to see Riku casting Curaja. A green aura streamed out of Riku's chest, engulfing Roxas in the green light. It reminded Xion of the Northern Lights. Something that beautiful, coming from Riku's heart, couldn't be a bad thing, right? She remained where she was and listened to the pacifying sound of Riku's howl.

Ever so slowly, Roxas's bones audibly snapped into position. His skin hemmed itself back together, leaving only one flaw: a huge scar over his chest. The blood remained, though every wound had been healed.

Riku closed his mouth and lowered his head. His tongue stuck out as he gasped for breathe. There was silence after a while, until finally Riku kicked Roxas, "Wake up."

The boy's eyes shot open so fast, it was almost as if they'd never been closed. Their blue color was so deep, it stuck out from the entire room. Xion stared with wide eyes at him.

"Xion..." Roxas sounded just as shocked to see her, "What's wrong?"

"R-... Roxas...?"

Roxas blinked. He closed his eyes, grunting as he got to his feet. When he opened them, he was startled to see Xion suddenly dashing toward him. He was about to meet her when a dark corridor appeared and swallowed her.

"Xion!" Roxas charged in after her. Riku, his body shaking, followed. Well, he thought as the darkness closed behind him, that's one way to do it.

The two reappeared in a bell tower. Large bronze bells hung from horizontal stakes from the ceiling. They hung in rows, bordering the raised wooden-plank walkways. When Roxas looked over the edge, he saw he was very high up, about as much as he'd be on the clock tower in Twilight Town.

"Xion, where are"

Roxas was cut off as Xion slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him hard enough to never let go. He was too startled to react. After a moment, Roxas brought up his arms to hold her tightly around the waist. One hand eventually came up to stroke the back of her head. Roxas held her as close as he dared and beyond.

He held her closer, "I'm so sorry, Xion... That should've never happened to you..."

Her arms' grip grew harder.

Tears welled up in his eyes. He shut them tight, but they escaped, "I'm so sorry..."

"I don't care!" Xion cried. Roxas opened his eyes to look at her as she pulled back to look at him. Her eyes were brimming with unspilled tears, "I don't care, Roxas! I thought I lost you! I thought you were... I thought..."

Her head thudded against his chest as she cried. It hurt Roxas to see her this upset; he hated it when Xion was anything but happy. If he could do one thing right, he'd make sure Xion would never, ever cry, "Xion..." she locked eyes with him, "Please, please don't cry. I... I don't like it when you cry..."

Xion had a sad smile, "I'm not as strong as you, Roxas."

"I'm not strong at all... I'm... I'm nothing, nothing without you."

"... What?"

"You're... everything to me. You mean so much to me I was so afraid when you..."

"Roxas..." Xion placed a hand on Roxas's cheek. She closed her eyes.

The girl brought her face to Roxas's and brushed her lips on his. He went completely stiff, though after a while closed his eyes and pressed back. Black hair entangled in his hand, Roxas pulled back and quickly kissed her again. Xion mirrored him, smothering him in a thousand kisses. No one can survive a thousand kisses.

Roxas, acting on an instinct, brushed his tongue against her lips. There was a pause, then Xion let him in. Their mouths opened wide to allow access for a battle between their mouths. He moaned, the feeling of her tongue caressing his full of pure ecstacy.

"Heheheh smoochie woochie wooo!"

"Shut up, Hugo!"

"I do say he's gotten worse."

The kiss was broken as Roxas turned toward the voices and summoned his Keyblade, "Who's there?"

"See? Now you've gone and blown our cover!"

"Good show indeed."

"Oh, c'mon I'm hurting anybody. Let's just say hi!"

"... What should we do, Laverne?"

"We might as well, Victor. They know we're here."

"Oh yeah!"

A chorus of "shut up, Hugo".

Roxas braced himself in front of Xion. Three stone gargoyles, all cut off at the belly so they had to hop around on a flat stone base, came out of the shadows behind a large brass cog. One was shorter than the others, a plump guy with a jolly face. The one to his left was a taller, a lot leaner, and looked like a real gargoyle, like the ones in Beast's Mansion. Lastly hobbled along an elder-looking gargoyle with wrinkles visible on his face, but he looked warm-hearted all the same, if he had a heart.

"Heya!" the fat one piped up, "How's it goin', lovebirds?"

The regal one punched him with one of his two arms, "Be nice, Hugo."

"I am!"

"Mind your manners."

"I got it, I got it! In case you didn't know, my name's Hugo. This grouch is Victor"

"And I'm Laverne." the old one held out a stoney hand to shake, "Pleasure to meet you!"

Xion stepped forward, a smile on her face, and took the hand. She shook it greatfully, happy to make a friend, "I'm Xion! It's so nice to meet you all!"

Roxas put away the Keyblade. If Xion thought they were friends, so did he.

"If you don't mind me asking," Xion inquired politely, "Where are we?"

"You don't know?!" Hugo blurted out.

Victor punched him again.

"Ms. Xion, you are in the greatest cathedral known to mankind!" Victor smiled.

The three almost sang together, "Welcome to Notre Dame!"


	15. Chapter 15

At last minute, Riku had switched destinations and re-entered Hollow Bastion. He would have been here earlier, but the King had appeared to him in the First District. The mouse, in hologram-form, told Riku to check on the Nobodies, because they were "valuable to the mission." Riku mutually agreed, though he didn't see Mickey's reasons for wanting to keep Roxas and Xion alive.

Hence, Riku had gone to save the two idiots in Nome, Alaska. Then he left the pair in Notre Dame, somewhere he doubted Heartless would infest. Now he was finally on task, keeping Sora safe. He recalled that's what the voice told him to do, and he wondered if that's what the enemies wanted. Nevertheless, he would ensure Sora's safety, even if it benefited his opposers. Riku was confident that he could take on anyone that would want to hurt Sora anyway.

The boy stumbled upon Merlin's, and a fight-scene in front of it. Riku kept his distance, watching Sora, Donald, and Goofy defeat Heartless. He noticed that Sora had gotten new clothes, more suited for adventuring and not playing on the islands. They supposedly had "magic powers", according to Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather, the three fairies Yen Sid commissioned to dress Sora. Riku dully wondered what the garments could possibly accomplish, and if idiot Sora could figure out how to work them.

Sora struck down the last Heartless, which had dropped a book. The cover was torn, making the title illegible. When the younger boy opened it, Riku could see that multiple pages were ripped out. Donald and Goofy looked at it with wonder as Sora proceeded to enter Merlin's, book in hand. The trio shut the door behind them, leaving Riku to gaze on from behind a cornering house.

He can take care of himself, Riku thought, for now.

Clearly there was no reason to hang around; Riku created a Dark Corridor to exit this world. The second his boot connected with the darkness, he heard a familiar "You!"

Riku turned to see Sora standing in the open doorway of Merlin's house. His face was curious, like a puppy wondering who that other puppy in the mirror was.

"Hey... you're that guy from before!" Sora loved stating the obvious, "Can you help us? We can't find Riku. Have you seen him?"

A spear shot through Riku's heart. He managed to say, "No."

Sora's spirit visibly sank, "Oh... then, have you seen the King?"

Could Riku answer that? Probably not... the King didn't really want anyone interfering with his end of the "mission", "No, I haven't seen them."

Sora looked down at his big-ass shoes. The older boy could feel his disappointment, and something else... longing? He really wanted to see Riku again... Poor Sora just wanted his friends back together, so he could go home to the islands and just have everyone be happy. To have everybody happy, everybody safe, all the Heartless and those things called "Nobodies" gone, that'd be the ultimate dream come true. If only he knew Riku was right in front of him...

"Don't worry, you'll find them." Riku tried sounding like he didn't care, "They're all connected to you. Your heart, or theirs, will lead them back to you."

Sora quickly looked up, "How do you KNOW that? Who ARE you?!"

"... I know a lot more than I should, for a boy my age."

"But you don't look that much older than me!"

Riku sighed, "Exactly."

He walked through the portal, hearing a "hey, wait!" behind him. Sora could never know who he was, and Riku was ordered not to meddle in Sora's quest. But how could he not? It was practically Riku's purpose to protect the fool. Riku disregarded Sora, and let his mind hone in on Axel.

Axel meant nothing whatsoever to Riku, but the boy was generally interested in what he was doing, more so where he went. King Mickey had also ordered Riku to do some investigating on Axel's habits. He claimed that data gathered from Axel would give the King an idea of what would happen to the Organization members if they disbanded and/or escaped from their enemies individually. It would be nice to know what a Nobody would do if they had no orders to follow.

Axel... Axel... Axel...

At first Riku thought he would go to the clock tower in Twilight Town; he'd seen him, Roxas and Xion hang out there plenty of times when he was watching over Xion. He quickly scratched the idea. Axel didn't want to be found, so why would he hide in the first place they'd look? That wouldn't make sense. The Nobody was smarter than that. He's probably somewhere out-of-the-way... somewhere the three had never visited.

Great. Just great. No, no not great, WONDERFUL. SPLENDID. SPECTACULAR. PERFECT! Just. Absolutely. Freaking. Per-fect.

Calm down, Riku breathed to himself. Bitching about it won't help. Just focus.

Axel... Axel... Axel...

Light flashed in front of Riku. He had arrived.

The primary thing Riku sensed was the playing of trumpets. It blared in his ears, the anthem that signals the entrance of royalty. Riku could feel multiple men, heavily built, most likely guards, bowing down before a column on both sides. There must be a walk-way rug that led to a throne. So this was the Throne Room...

Suddenly, without warning, the trumpets were replaced by some spontaneously zany pop-theme. The music paused for a split ten seconds. Some young man said with a little more spunk than needed, "HAH, BOOM, baby!" and then the noise resumed. Riku felt like punching something, or someone, preferably the boisterous idiot that had begun singing to the music.

Riku went to leave the lunatic to his tunes when he accidentally bumped into someone. Apparently that "someone" was playing an instrument, as the music faltered and eventually stopped altogether. The one singing stopped too. Thank God, sighed Riku.

"Hey, you!" the spunky one said, rather bummed but more pissed off, "You threw off my groove!"

"Your what?"

"Guards, bring him closer!"

Large hands grabbed each of Riku's arms. He let them, as it was amusing how easily they thought they could handle him.

"Who are you, boy?" he actually sounded more interested in Riku's identity than his sudden, probably forbidden presence in the Throne Room.

"None of your business."

"What's this thing?" a hand grabbed the blindfold over Riku's eyes.

"NO!" Riku shrieked, instantly releasing an arm from the guard's hold to slap away the hand.

The man wasn't at all offended, miraculously. He was only intrigued as to what was so important about that ribbon over this stranger's eyes, "What's that?"

"Don't touch it!" Riku, for the first time in his life, sounded scared, "Please, don't!"

"But I wanna know! At least give me a good reason WHY I can't remove your mask."

"If you do, you will die." Riku quickly thought of a lie that would work on a culture like this, though it wasn't entirely false, "I've been cursed by the darkness. You see my eyes, ten thousand years of hatred and bloodshed will fall upon you! You will be cursed as well!"

He could feel the room cower away from him. The guards had even let go of him.

"O-oh. Well, then, I won't." the man stuttered, obviously trying to hide his fright, "Um... well..."

Riku said nothing, but was rather glad that they feared him. Better to be revered than loved.

"Anyway, I'm Emperor Cuzco. Wait, how did you get in here? Are you a new servant?"

"Hell no."

"Aaah then you must be here about the village-thingy. Sorry but I'm still building my Cuzco Topia there. You'll just have to pack your bags and live somewhere else."

"What?"

"My dream summer-house! I'm building it on those hills. You live there, right? Well not anymore, suckeeeeeer!"

"Where will the people live?"

"Don't know don't care. How does that sound?"

"Selfish."

Emperor Cuzco shrugged, "Too bad."

"An emperor is supposed to care about his subjects, not take away their homes and cast them out just to indulge himself. If you really are an emperor, which you shouldn't be, you should seriously get your priorities straight."

It took Cuzco a while to find his words before he ordered Riku to be thrown out the window. Joke's on him, smirked Riku as he spread his arms and glided away from the palace. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw the place looked like an aztec-version of Cuzco's head. Was he really that conceited?

Tall hills came into sight. Houses lined three of them, forming a small village. A single house resided at the top of the hill in the middle, towering over the others by at least a mile. Riku landed on its straw roof and barely made a sound as he jumped off to land gracefully on his feet.

He walked closer to the stone steps before the front of the house. He lifted the blindfold to open a single eye and gazed on at the rustic town.

All the houses looked the same, though in different shapes and sizes. When he squinted, he could make out people using llamas to pull carts piled high with sacks of crops and varieties of pottery. The citizens dressed in clothe dyed to form geometric designs on the hemming, or just plain without much color. Children pet baby llamas, running around and making llama noises, spitting at each other. Riku smiled, recalling the days when he and Sora were that young.

Beyond the hills, to the right, was a dense and dark jungle. Riku could tell that everyone stayed away from it; there were no signs of people ever being there. Its gloomy atmosphere seemed to send waves of distress. Exotic beings inhabited it, most likely. Maybe there were even Heartless there. Riku laughed at it. He could handle an army of ten thousand Heartless, probably more. He could deal with a few wild animals, no problem.

Then again, all that searching for Axel could be a huge pain in the ass and a total waste of time. There's better things to do, better places to look even.

"You better be here." Riku growled as he replaced the fold and began his way down the endless stone steps.


	16. Chapter 16

"Xion! Xion!" Roxas called. She had disappeared. In the sea of thousands of faces, not one looked at all like Xion.

It was Hugo's idea to attend this "festival". He said it was tons of fun; if Victor hadn't cut in, the gargoyle probably would have come along. Apparently, "what belongs in the bell tower, stays in the bell tower". Hugo had retaliated with "then why did Quasi get to go?" Laverne hushed them both and ushered the Nobodies down the stairwell.

"XION!" Roxas cupped his hands to his face and yelled louder. Of course they would get separated. So many people had attended this thing that there wasn't an inch of elbow-room. The boy was constantly being shoved, kicked, sometimes even pushed over (and then stepped on). Xion was literally ripped away from him.

"Roxas! ROXAS!" Xion was shouting for him too. He'd been out of her sight for a while now, and she was starting to get worried. Little did she know that he was only ten feet away.

A hand grabbed her arm. Her hair smacked her in the face when she quickly turned to see a woman dressed in a gypsy-costume. The minute she spoke, Xion could see that she meant no real harm.

"Do you like to dance?" she asked, rouge lips showing a white smile.

Xion could only smile back. Something about her just made Xion feel like she could trust her. The woman smiled back, her costume's dangling coins and charms twinkling in the sunlight.

"XIOOOON!"

Suddenly the crowd behind him cheered above the music and chatting and bustling of the festival. Among the hundreds of other stages and stands, this one had the largest audience, the majority men. Roxas squeezed his way to the front to see what was so exciting.

A man in a jester costume, wearing a purple mask with a pointed nose, came out from behind the curtains of the stage. He held a cone that magnified voice. Roxas could hardly hear him over the people, though he assumed the jester was making introductions. The man gestured to the curtains, and the cheering intensified.

A woman slinked her way out of the back room, the curtains reaching for her. She was dressed like a gypsy: a red skirt that went to her bare feet, a purple wrap around her waist, her belly was uncovered, leading to a crimson top that matched the skirt - it had purple sleeves that intentionally hung off her shoulders. Gold coins sewn into the hemming of her wrap jingled as they seemed to vibrate on her legs. Bangles with a similar shade jumped on her wrists. Her ebony hair was held in place by a golden hair band that crossed over her forehead, which had a red gem glued on in between a pair of dark eyes. Her dark skin had a creamy look to it, absolutely flawless. Roxas watched her, mesmerized.

She held a long violet ribbon that sparkled with designs of moons and stars. It waved around her as she twirled around, kissing her body. The way she moved, dancing with defined grace, like water that flowed with the music, had entranced Roxas. He was silent as the men continued to yell. One screamed something about hanging her. Roxas stopped. Why would someone hang her? Why would anyone want to harm something that beautiful?

The dancer wove her way back to the curtains. She came back to center stage with a girl holding her hand. The girl was dressed in gypsy attire much like the woman's: instead of a skirt, she had poofy pants and a long-sleeved top that was cut a little low but exposed her entire belly. Its color was indigo, a deep blue, like Xion's old eyes. Her ribbon was black like her hair, with silver stars shimmering all over. Wait... she had pale skin...

Men clapped along with the music as the females danced together, twining their ribbons together, performing graceful mirroring moves. They made shapes like hearts, then spirals, and once, while holding on to each other's hands, they spun in a circle, forming a sphere around them out of the ever snaking ribbons. Their hands let go, and they went prancing to opposite ends of the stage.

Blue Girl bent down to face Roxas. The other men backed away as she hooked her ribbon around his neck and pulled his face to hers. Their noses barely touched. Roxas froze. The girl's eyes were silver.

"Xion?" he gasped. The girl smiled and winked. With that she took her ribbon back and leaped to center-stage. Red Woman held her hands out; Xion used them as a foot hold and jumped into the air. Working for the Organization gave her an unfair advantage; she soared high into the sky until she was but an elf above. She waved the ribbon around her. The silver was a beacon in the light - Roxas thought the ribbon looked like silver angel wings surrounding Xion.

Xion fell, landing lightly on the woman's shoulders. She bent down, grabbed her ribbon, and quickly came back up, crossing the scarves in an X. Her hands swiftly moved them in a precise motion so the designs on the ribbons appeared as one beautiful night sky. Everyone cheered as loud as they could and higher. Roxas's face lit up at the grand performance as the music died down and Xion back-flipped off of the woman's back. They smiled at each other, squeezing each other and giggling at how well they did. With a last wave, they exited back behind the curtains. Roxas made his way around the stage to the back entrance to wait for Xion.

After a while, the woman stepped out from back-stage with Xion trailing close behind. She was back in her Organization XIII coat while the woman was still in a gypsy costume. Xion's face was brighter than Roxas had ever seen it.

"Did you have fun?" Roxas smiled as she beamed at him.

"Like you would not believe," Xion looked to the woman, "Thank you for letting me dance with you!"

"No problem, Xion. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Who's he?"

"This is Roxas. Roxas, this is Esmeralda."

Roxas nodded to her, "Nice to meet you."

"My pleasure." she leaned close enough for Roxas to feel her breath on his ear, "She's a good girl, Roxas. You take good care of her, alright?"

Roxas stared at her as she pulled back, smiled, then walked back into the dressing room. Who was that? He quickly dismissed it and saw Xion looking at him. They locked eyes, and time and space vanished altogether. The Nobodies couldn't even hear the crashing and shouts erupting from the stage.

A Heartless, basically a pink Soldier with a jester hat, appeared from behind the curtains, followed by many others. The squad shuddered, and swung their clawed hands at the people. Women grabbed their kids, running away from the stage while some men ran and others grabbed their swords.

"Roxas!" Xion pushed him behind her, summoned her Keyblade, and swung at an enemy in mid-leap. Its tip connected with the Heartless's shoulder, slicing its head off; the creature disappeared in a cloud of darkness and released a little pink heart. Roxas quickly put a hand on her shoulder, "Thanks". Keyblade in hand, the boy ran off into battle.


	17. Chapter 17

Riku turned to look over his shoulder. In the distance, the village seemed a little more quiet. And smaller. As Riku had thought, Axel wasn't there. He didn't really think the Nobody would want to be around people; a selfish personality proved he wouldn't care for any one else's company... maybe even if it was Roxas and Xion.

A small laugh sounded from behind Riku's smirk. Axel truly didn't have a heart, did he? Riku was almost certain that he was heartless. Who could abandon their friends like that? Who could hurt someone like that, someone so close to you...

Sora...

He froze. Riku had done all of that. He abandoned Sora... tried to KILL him even... when he thought...

GodDAMN that Malificent! It's HER fault! It's ALL HER FAULT! Because of her manipulation, Riku hurt Sora all the time. He constantly taunted him, teased him with Kairi. When her heart had been in Sora's (unbeknownst to Riku) he would play dark games with Sora, taking her body with him wherever he went just to show Sora that HE had the upper hand. Not to mention the countless times where they physically fought to near death.

Goddamnit...

Riku began walking again at a slower pace. He put a hand on his chest, feeling a dull drum against his palm. Why did he have a heart? How could he... after all that...

The woods suddenly surrounded him. Maybe he'd been here the whole time, lost in thought, unable to really notice anything else but his darkness. Looming branches towered overhead. Riku couldn't see the sky. All he could see were the greens and blues and blacks of the toxic forest. There was, however, a trail that he'd unconsciously been following.

A trail...? It looked almost brand new, untouched by any feet. But how could there be a trail if no one's ever been here? It was possible the trail was made a long time ago, leading somewhere else, but the jungle grew around it? Riku gave up pondering and just kept on walking.

As night drew near, and the forest somehow became darker, Riku heard cries sounding from the west. It sounded like some animal being hunted. A jaguar's scream flushed out the quarry and then there was silence. After a few moments there was another shriek to the east, a roar, and then absolute quiet.

The predators here must be nocturnal, Riku observed.

Human screams shook Riku. There was somebody else here? Maybe Riku should help...

"Help me! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP MEEEEE!"

They came closer... It sounded like that Cuzco guy...

A whole hoard of black panthers came tearing through the trees, all chasing what looked like a black and red llama. He kept on calling for help... Was that llama Cuzco?

Riku pursued the wild cats, running faster and faster. He jumped up, using their backs as footholds and made his way to the front. Some had noticed the boy and leapt back to attack. Riku summoned Way to the Dawn and knocked them away. He quickly hopped off the leader's head, landing in front of the panthers. The boy was in the worst position possible: between the hunters and their prey.

"H-Hey you're that boy from before!" the llama sounded close to tears, "Please, s-save me!"

The panther in front spat at Riku, fangs bared and growling. Riku flashed his own teeth and hissed back. That startled the panthers. They looked at one another, a hint of fear in each others eyes. Riku took a menacing step forward, poised his Keyblade to strike, and hissed again, louder, mixed with a growl. The predators cried out and ran back into the forest with their tails in between their legs.

Riku huffed, sheathing his Keyblade. He turned to Cuzco. The llama was still cowering and covering his eyes with his hooves. Cuzco finally looked up to see they were gone. Riku looked directly at him and cocked an eyebrow.

Cuzco brushed himself off, "I ah, had that covered."

Riku's expression didn't change, "... Yeah. Okay."

"Don't you give me that!" Cuzco snapped, "It's your fault I'm a llama in the first place!"

"My fault, huh?" Riku could care less if it really was his fault, though there was no way it was. He'd seen Cuzco once, when he was human. Anything that happened after that was on someone else.

"Yeah! So change me back, you jerk!"

Even if he wanted to, Riku doubted he could change a llama into a man... or a whiny emperor, "I don't think so."

"Why not?! At least take me back to the palace!"

"Sounds like a 'you' problem," Riku said, walking past the llama, "Find your own chaperone."

"NO! Get back here!"

Cuzco followed Riku further into the jungle. The boy let his mind drift; he hardly knew the annoying brat was there. He complained, nagging Riku to carry him, not ever shutting up. Riku just scanned his surroundings, looking for Axel and not really focusing on anyone other than the MIA man.

He saw a flash of red among the cold colors.

The boy raced after the bright dot. Cuzco called after him, but of course, he didn't look back. All that was on his mind was a Nobody with insane hair.

In a clearing ahead was a young man with red spiky hair casting a fire spell on a pile of sticks. The flames highlighted his face, illuminating his green eyes. Riku stopped short to hide behind a brush to observe the Nobody. Behind him Cuzco began to whine again; Riku punched him in the throat and sat on his head.

Axel pulled something out of his coat-pocket. Riku had no idea what it was, even when he removed half of his blindfold to get a closer look. From what Riku could see, it was a little stick. It had writing on the end of it... A popsicle stick?

"WINNER"...

How did he get that? What did it mean? And why does Axel look like...

"Goddamn..." he sniffed, "Goddamnit all..."

Riku felt his breath catch as tears welled up in Axel's eyes and spilled over. They dripped onto the ground next to his feet. The Nobody fell to his knees and clutched his head. His shoulders shook as he sobbed, his entire body trembling. He unleashed a cry so inhuman it shot through Riku. Riku doubted people with hearts could make a noise like that.

Was he in pain? Did something happen? Maybe it has something to do with that stick...

The fact that a Nobody could actually CRY...

Maybe Axel does have a heart...

"Why... Why..." Axel pushed his palms into his eyes, "Why can't I just..."

Axel suddenly got to his feet and stared at the trees behind him. He paused, then summoned his chakrams and slashed at the plants. They had a clean cut across their stumps, making way to a man in a black cloak. An Organization member.

"What do you want?" Axel's voice shook when he shouted at him. It was a lot louder and emotional than necessary (or deemed possible).

The figure didn't respond, or remove his hood. He simply picked a leaf from a bush next to him. There was a moment of silence as the mystery opponent studied the leaf, as if it had some sentimental value, almost like an old friend you forgot... He shook his head. Closing the leaf in a fist, he swung his arm back and it transformed into Marluxia's scythe. He made no sound when he rushed forward to strike at Axel.

"Pretty Boy?!" Axel yelled surprised, throwing a wheel in retaliation, "You're supposed to be dead!"

Marluxia deflected the weapon into a nearby tree. He slashed his own at Axel's shoulder. The red-head blocked with his only chakram, and pressed his hand against Marluxia's abdomen, casting a Firaga spell and causing a critical hit. He didn't cry out, but a hole with singed edges had burned its way straight through his stomach. There was no way he could've lived through that, Riku thought.

To his astonishment, Marluxia didn't pause or show any signs of being hurt. Even though he was sent flying a few yards away, he didn't stagger or gasp at the blood pouring down his legs.

"Sora killed you!" Axel shouted, dazed at fighting an undead Nobody, "How are you still here?!"

He didn't answer. Another cloaked figure came from behind the brush, a large blue shield in hand. Riku's heart skipped a beat.

"Vexen?!"

They advanced as a duo, Marluxia cleaving a deep gash in Axel's left shoulder and Vexen chipping away his right calf. Axel cried out, dropping his one chakram and joining it on the jungle dirt. The pair of weapons vanished in a wisp of flames. Riku saw Vexen prepare to jab his shield into Axel's throat; he acted quickly and soon he was standing over Axel, blocking the attack.

"Y-You!" Axel grunted, "What're you-"

"Shut up."

Riku brought out Way to the Dawn and swept it around him, knocking both enemies away. He saw Vexen take Marluxia's scythe and charge at him with both weapons. With a flick of the wrist, Riku shot a tremendous fireball at the icy Nobody. It melted the shield and incinerated the scythe. Riku was shocked to see Vexen suddenly turn into a pile of ash. He stared at it for a minute, and then looked to Marluxia. 'Pretty Boy' was in similar condition, gently blowing away in the night breeze.

"My, my. Look at what you've done. You've broken them."

It was that same voice from before! He sounded amused.

"Well done, Riku. You managed to defeat my best so far."

"'Best'?" Riku growled, "They're not supposed to be here! Where are you getting these Nobodies?"

"Nobodies? What Nobodies? Those were not Nobodies."

"What...? Do you..." Riku clenched his hands into fists, "Do you mean to tell me... that we just killed a couple of people? People with hearts?"

He let out a dark chuckle, "Hardly. They had no hearts."

"Then, what are they?"

"Oh yeah, like we'll just tell you!" another voice, a new one, joined the voice in the sky, "As if."

"Who are you?!"

"How's it goin', kiddo? I'd love to stay and chat but I have to go visit your friend. My hands are a little tied."

"Sora?"

The voices didn't respond.

"HEY! What did you do to Sora?!"

"G-Give up man..." Axel grunted, "They're not there... And as much as I'd just LOVE to stare at your ass all night, c-could you heal me already?"

Riku sheathed his Keyblade and knelt beside Axel, casting Curaga. He completely healed him, and joined the Nobody by the fire. After a while of quiet, Riku spoke.

"Who were they?" he kept his voice monotone, "Don't lie. You know."

Axel let out an annoyed sigh, "Which ones?"

"The voices. The ones in the sky."

"Aah well... First one was Xemnas."

"Who?"

"Number I in the Organization. The head of the whole operation and my ex-employer."

"And the other?"

"Xigbar, Number II. He's a real douche bag, don't listen to a word he says."

Riku was silent. Axel, by some miracle, read his mind. (More rather a lucky guess.)

"Don't worry, he won't do shit to Sora. Kid'll be fine."

"How do you know?"

"The Organization needs Sora alive. Now that Roxas is gone, they need him to slay the Heartless and collect hearts so they can make Kingdom Hearts. Only when a Keyblade wielder slays a Heartless does it release a heart. If someone else does it, the Heartless just vanishes and pops up somewhere else."

Riku jumped up, "They want to complete Kingdom Hearts?"

He stretched and yawned, reclining into his back and folding his arms behind his head, "Pretty much. It's probably why they want you as his personal body-guard; if you protect him from the Heartless with your Keyblade, then you'd be doing them two services at once: keeping their heart-collector alive and collecting more hearts yourself."

This struck the boy silent. He suddenly turned a punched a tree hard enough to heavily dent the wood.

"Damn Kingdom Hearts!" Riku cried, "Damn it! Why does it have to exist? Why does there have to be other worlds? Why does there have to be Heartless and Nobodies and and..."

Axel cocked an eyebrow. The hell is wrong with this kid?

"Why did I ever want more...? I should've never left the island..."

"Well, from what I heard," Axel yawned, "You didn't really have a choice."

"... The Keyblade... it's cursed, it has to be... Anyone tied to Sora... either they perished or their world perished..."

"Yeah, but then he saved them, didn't he?"

"That's what we thought at first, but we were wrong, weren't we?"

Axel was silent. He did have a point.

"As long as everyone has darkness in their hearts... As long as the Heartless exist... There will never be peace... Never... It's a vicious cycle that so many have accepted as reality..." Riku faced Axel, "I never wanted to but... I have. Life is cruel, and I will willingly live with this burden but..."

"But...?"

"... People like Sora... they deserve better. Someone that light and pure... They shouldn't have to fight their whole lives, only to fail over and over again."

"What do you mean, 'fail over and over'?"

"Don't give me that bullshit. You know as well as I that there are countless worlds out there, more so an endless darkness. Even if there was just one world, every Keyblade wielder would spend his whole life protecting it and forever keeping its Heartless at bay, never truly saving it. Salvation doesn't exist in any world, and it never will..."

Axel stopped and gave it serious thought. He shrugged, "I think the only reason I could care less about the worlds and the people in 'em is because I don't have a heart."

Riku let out a small laugh, "You wouldn't give a shit even if you had a heart."

"You got that right!" Axel grinned. The smile washed away after a minute, "But... lately... I actually..."

Riku actually paid attention for the first time.

Axel sat up and rested his head on his knees, gazing somberly into the fire, "I... I miss them. I never felt this before... It's like a ton of bricks crushing my chest. I want to see them again so bad, I'm wondering why I'm not bleeding... I didn't know what it was at first, but what else could it be? My flames have never hurt me this way..."

"Do you worry about them?"

He mumbled into his lap, "What do you think?"

"... I think I need to go catch a llama."

Axel looked up to see Riku dash back into the woods in the direction he arrived. He looked on, waiting for him to come back. The boy didn't return and Axel's thoughts consumed him once more. After a moment of silence, Axel curled into a ball and began crying all over again. Into the night, he whispered a name, so feint he doubted he even said it:

"Roxas... Roxas... Roxas..."


	18. Chapter 18

"TAKE THIS!" Xion cried, blasting a Shadow with a fire ball. It faded into shards of darkness and was soon replaced by another. Sweat beaded Xion's brow as she struck an enemy to her left with the Keyblade.

How long had they been fighting? Surely it'd only been five minutes, but it felt like they'd been slaying Heartless for hours. The intensity of this hoard was overwhelming. Worse yet, Xion knew the consequences of she and Roxas killing: it would protect the people here in this world... but it would help the Organization. Xion knew their plan, and it stung like a bitch that she had no choice but to release more hearts.

In the few moments she could spare, Xion looked to Roxas a distance away, battling a Defender. He was gritting his teeth, swinging madly at the evading Heartless. Xion went to help him, when a bunch of men shouting drew her attention. The girl saw hundreds of men come thundering into the festival on horseback, swords dismembering Heartless and hooves trampling the pools of darkness.

"The royal guard..." Xion panted. Her and Roxas couldn't fight forever, that much she knew. Maybe they should at least take a break...

Roxas saw the army approach too. Even though he was unaware of the Organization's plan, he called out, "Xion! C'mon!"

The boy ran back towards the clock tower, as everyone seemed to be avoiding it. Xion hesitated, but sheathed the Keyblade and followed soon after. They dashed up the wooden stairs to be greeted by the trio of gargoyles. Verne was the first to pipe up.

"What's goin' on down there?!" the old coot looked close to terrified, "What are those demonic creatures?"

"Heartless." Xion trailed off, "So many Heartless..."

Roxas gazed somberly at her, "Xion..."

"When does it end?!" she full-out yelled at Roxas, "Tell me, Roxas! TELL ME! When will we be free? When will they just stop..."

He stood rigid as she fell to her knees and cried. He felt like crying too, but looked back at the battle below to fuel his thoughts.

'There's nothing we can do.'

The gargoyles looked nervously down at the royal guard fighting the Heartless. No doubt about it, they had hearts. Feelings like that don't appear on the otherwise.

'The darkness is unstoppable. Once it starts to take over, it doesn't stop. Heartless will swallow this world whole and shit destruction...'

Roxas held out a hand to Xion to help her up, "Let's go."

'As long as there's darkness in people's hearts, the Heartless will always be there. Why delay the inevitable? Let this world disappear.'

Xion looked to him with mortified eyes. Did he really want to go? What happened to the caring Roxas that wanted to make friends and keep them safe? Does he not care?

"Roxas..." she said wearily, wiping the tears from her eyes, "We can't go; we can't make corridors."

Right then, a portal of darkness opened behind Roxas. He didn't make it, and certainly didn't know where it led. But, Notre Dame was destined to perish. Roxas's main concern was Xion-she was not safe here. The want to protect her forced him to grab her by the arm and pull her into the portal with him. As they disappeared into the black wisp, he met the gaze of the terrified trio. With sincere sadness, he spoke, "I'm sorry." And vanished.

They reappeared in a dense jungle. Xion didn't hesitate to wrench her arm from Roxas and strike him with it. He let her hit him; it was morally wrong to abandon them and he knew it.

"Why would you-HOW could you"

"Xion, I didn't want you to get hurt. There's nothing we could've done but tire ourselves out and get eaten with the world by the darkness."

"But..." she hated it, but he couldn't be more right. Xion lowered her arms and allowed herself to be pulled into his arms. She sighed, "We can't afford to slay anymore Heartless; that'd only help Xemnas..."

He held her tighter, "I know. What can we do?"

"... Run."

They silently agreed, releasing each other and turning to explore the jungle. It was only after a minute did a hoard of Dusks appear from the ground. Instinct drove them to summon their Keyblades, "Xion!" Roxas called.

"We can't!" she pushed against the light and put away her Key, "RUN!"

The pair forced their legs to carry them through the jungle. Behind them they could hear the spring of the Dusks hurrying after them. Bushes tugged their pants and cloaks, slowing their escape and accelerating their fear of being caught. Low branches made them roll forward and jump up in enough time to regain a fast pace . Sweat sheaned Roxas's brow when he burst out of the jungle into an open field. He looked up to see a dark sky dotted with thousands of stars. The boy bent over to put his hands on his knees and pant until he regained his breath. That's when he noticed the noises of pursuit had ceased, and Xion wasn't by his side.

"Xion?" he spun around, facing the forest, "XION!"

There was no reply. In a panic Roxas dashed back to the jungle. He ran further and further into the direction he was sure he came, but found no one. Every Nobody had disappeared, including his beloved Xion.

"Xion! Xion, where are you?! Answer me!" his voice dripped with desperation. Finally his stamina gave out, and he stumbled to a stop. Feeling faint, he cried again softly, "Xion!"

**A/N I'm sorry I've been busy lately with not-other-things and on writer's block... I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter but don't worry, it's for a reason. I guarantee the next chapter will be filled with a lot more drama and will be a whole lot longer henceforth.** **Please R&R!**


	19. Chapter 19

Xion dashed to her right, casting Fire backward to delay the tailing Dusks. They shuddered, springing in grotesque movements that weren't humanely possible. The girl ran as fast as her legs could carry her, however, her stamina was well depleted.

"Roxas!" she panted, "Where are you?"

A giant white hand grabbed her leg and tripped Xion into a tree. It slammed her head hard enough to blur her vision, going dark at the edges. Dizzily Xion felt the Nobodies seize her limbs. In the split second she could look up, she saw they were dragging her into a dark portal.

'Darkness...' a shiver rippled up her spine, 'Xemnas... Roxas...'

Only a foot away.

'I'm so sorry Roxas... I should've killed them... when I...'

That uneasy feeling entered her foot; they'd begun teleporting on impact.

"Roxas..." she whispered.

"XION!"

Her eyes opened to see a giant explosion around her. An inferno devoured the Dusks, turning them into black crisps, ashes, then evaporated into nothing. The smell of smoke burned her lungs, but was somehow sweet in its familiarity. Xion was released.

"Roxas..."

Hands slipped around her shoulders and knees, picking her up and cradling her head against a chest. Xion's eyelids shuddered weakly; a pair of fingers brushed them closed.

"He'll be here soon."

Darkness took over her, not the bad kind. It was peaceful, embracing, almost like home. That voice outside would protect her, she knew it. There was no need to be afraid; Xion slipped into a comfortable sleep and awaited the return of her light.

...

Roxas shoved aside the shrubbery, crying out her name, "XION!"

There she was, lying limp at the foot of a great tree. In front of her was a campfire, though there were no signs of anyone around to build it. Its flames illuminated the night with a friendly glow, highlighting her body in red hues. He felt like the fire was someone he met... someone he missed. Who, pray tell? Only Xion mattered now.

"Xion...!" he knelt beside her and brought her head into his lap. A stinging sensation ripped through his heart, "Xion! ... Xion...? ...XION!"

Ever so slowly, her silver eyes fluttered open. The pain subsided, "... Roxas?"

The boy didn't hesitate to mash his lips against hers. She kissed back gratefully, "I'm so glad you're okay." she murmured in between breaths.

With some reluctance he pulled back and stood, pulling her to her feet with him, "What happened? Where'd all the Dusks go?" Roxas visibly braced himself, "Should we be ready?"

"Relax, Roxas." she smiled warmly, "They're gone. He saved me."

"Who?" he managed to relax...

"Who else?" Xion looked over her shoulder to the huge tree. As if on command, a tall, thin figure stepped out from behind it. His black cloak was the very essence of the darkness Roxas had grown to hate.

... and tense up all over again.

Before Xion could stop him, Roxas whipped out his Keyblade and charged towards him. The figure simply spread his arms and allowed the tip to ram through his chest and out his back. Blood burst from the man, gushing down his entire body, onto the dirt at his feet. Xion had screamed his name, but Roxas couldn't hear her over the buzzing in his ears. The man cried out, slumping a little, though remained where he was. A moment passed when he brought up his arms to wrap around Roxas. The boy froze as the man's hood flipped back to reveal an array of red spikes.

He held the boy tighter, his shoulders shaking. Roxas could hear him gasping, and could feel the fabric on his shoulder becoming damp.

Roxas kept his stance, his hands gripping the Key fiercely, "Why are you crying?"

"I... I-I," he coughed and wretched blood, and laughed, "I guess... I needed... t-to..." another fit of hacking, "See you... R-Roxas..."

The sound of the Keyblade, sliding out of his body as he collapsed to the ground, forced more tears into Xion's eyes. Roxas idly observed the crippled Nobody, watching Xion bend down to cradle his head.

"He was right..." he rasped, "He was-s right-t... Roxas... I don't have... a heart..." blood trickled down the corners of his lips, "But... That doesn't mean... anything."

"Please, save your breath!" Xion cried, beginning to heal him, "Try not to move!"

He ignored her, "Before I met you... R-Roxas, I truly was... nobody. N-no feelings, no ambitions... no friends... Not even Isa, th-there the whole t-time... was ever my best fr-friend again... Then... I found you. At first... I literally despised you... AND the whole idea of babysitting you."

A smile twitched at Roxas's lips.

"But... then we went on missions together... Remember Agrabah...?"

"'Flexible thinking'." Roxas answered on instinct, immediately loathing himself for it.

"Heh, yeah... You grew on me, Roxas. I looked forward to seeing you... every day... And doing missions with you was like... a birthday, every day... Having ice cream with you... was truly the icing on the cake, an already perfect birthday cake..."

Roxas had put away his Keyblade and sat beside Xion by now.

"When you were there... I felt things I hadn't since I had a heart. I was happy, I was heavy, I was curious... only with you. You made me feel... like I had a heart... You became everything to me... Giving me feelings, giving me a heart, you made me somebody. Without you, I am nobody... And no matter where we were, no matter what world we went to... you were always my world..." his wounds had nearly healed, "Roxas... we laughed together. That means we're friends... right?"

The boy just stared at him, unsure of what to say. After everything that happened, did he honestly mean that? Was it just a hoax? He looked to Xion.

She smiled, her eyes watery, and nodded.

"You were my first friend."

"'Were'?"

He laughed, "You are. You're my best friend, Axel."

Axel had that cheesy, wide grin on his face. His eyes sparkled with an energy unknown to the pair of special Nobodies. They got to their feet, and a silent agreement pushed Axel to open a corridor to Twilight Town. There, they bought the classic Sea Salt ice cream that brought them together. Just like their friendship, it was salty, but sweet enough to balance out and make it all the more enjoyable. At the clocktower, the trio sat in their accustomed spots. True, Roxas would've liked to be closer to Xion, but it just wouldn't be right. This was where he belonged, right in the middle of his two best friends.

Everything forgiven, the three reminisced, chatting about the old days and remembering the better missions. They laughed at all the adventures they had, like flying in Neverland, and exploring the Cave of Wonders in Agrabah, kicking Heartless-ass the whole time. Time seemed endless; even after the ice cream was long gone, and the moon had already risen, it was like they just got there. Only when Xion started yawning did Roxas suggest it was time to leave. Axel concurred, smirking, "Dude, you are so whipped."

Deciding the islands were the safest place, they returned to the tree house. Axel sat against the wall, Roxas next to him, with Xion using his lap as a pillow. She closed her eyes and yawned, "Good night, guys."

"G'night."

Eventually, Roxas fell asleep too, resting his head in the nape of Axel's neck. For the first time in a long time, Azel felt a glow in his chest, one that lulled him into a peaceful slumber as he rested his head on top of Roxas's.

_Isa, eat your heart out._


End file.
